l!|ti|  i  iitllllil 


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Cfje  Hibrarp 

gf  tfie 

iberjiitp  of  iOtortf)  Carolina 


Bllcttion  of  i^ortt)  Caroliniana 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N  C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032690721 

This  book  must  not 
be  token  from  the 
Library  building. 


itil§  IITLE 


HAS  BEEN  M\C^O¥\lMa) 


A    NEW    BOOK! 

Beautifully  Bound.      Very   Attractive  and  Interesting. 


Scenes,  Incidents  and  Labors  in  the 
Till  Lives  of  two  Home  Missionaries, 
j"  L.  W.  Pigott  and  wife,  for  many 
years. 

fN  the  mountains— on  the  seashore— in  the  far  west— 
HI  other  places— and  in  the  city  liilL     We  are  both 
now  over  71  years  ol  age,  and  publish  this  book^.or  two 
reasons;  first,'' trusting  and  praying  that,  by  God's  grace, 
it  niav  prove  a  blessing  to  those  who  may  read  it;  second 
that  in  our  age  and  infirmities,  having  no  earthly  friend 
to  fall  back  on  for  support,  it  may  bring  m  a  dime  now 
and  then  which  will  keep  hunger  from  our  door!     W  itn 
many  amusing  incidents  and  exciting  scenes  and  experi- 
ences in  our  life  work,  it  contains  some  history,  poetiy, 
and  excellent  clippings  from  first-class  periodicals  which 
are  highly  entertaining.     It  also  contains  a  short  History 
of  the  life  and  death  of  Fenner  S.  Pigott  (our  son),     it 
would  be  well  for  every  vouth  to  read  it,  that  it  mighi 
■=induce-thenT  to  emuUite  his  beautiful  life  m  order  to  encl 
their  earthly  career  as  he  did'his,  in  peace,  happiness  and 
triumph  !  for  his  death  was  one  of  the  most  gloriously 
triumphant  the  world  has  ever  witnessed  !     As  to  the 
truthfulness. and  power  of  the  Religion  of  Christ  Jesus  to 
Sustain  in  the  last  days  and  hours  of  our  dissolution  . 
For  a  very  intelligent  gentleman  who  witnessed  his  last 
davs  and  hours  said,  "It  was  the  most  convincing  proof 
he'' ever  had  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the 

GR4.NDEST  TRIUMPH  OF  MIND  OVER  MATTER  he  CVCr  be- 
held." A.nd  his  pastor,  Rev.  H.  R.  Naylor,  I^-  I>-.^i 
"Foundry"  M.  E.  Church,  Washington,  D.  C,  called  Jto- 
gether  hfs  congregation  and  held  for  him  a  splendid 
morial   service,  and   gave  him  a  most  beautiful 

GLOWING  tribute  of   AFFECTION,  LOVE  and   BRILLIANCY 


me- 

AND 


SCEiNES  AND  INCIDENTS 

IN  THE  LIFE  OF 
A  HOME  MISSIONARY 


With  a 

Biographical  Sketch  of 

Fenner  S.  Pigott 


^1%^ 


...BY... 
LEVI   WOODBURY   PIGOTT 


NORFOLK,  VIRGINIA 
1901 


Scenes  and  Incidents 


SI 

H 

NO 


DEDICATED 

TO  THE 

Woman's  Home  Missionary  Society 

OF  THE 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South 


PREFACE 

In  this  volume  I  have  tried  to  present  in  a  plain, 
simple  way  a  few  of  the  incidents  which  have 
marked  my  life  as  a  home  missionary  in  North 
Carolina,  Kentucky,  Arkansas  and  Virginia.  In 
writing  about  my  life  my  thoughts  have  naturally 
turned  to  him  who  was  so  large  a  part  of  my 
very  existence,  and  I  have  been  led  to  pay  a 
feeble  tribute  to  his  memory.  1  feel  confident 
that  the  story  of  the  life,  and  especially  the  tri- 
umphant death  of  my  son  will  add  much  to  the 
value  of  the  volume  and  will  be  welcomed  by  the 

reader. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS 


\.  Autobiography, 

II.  A  Colporteur  in  Kentucky 

III.  An  Arkansas  Mission, 

IV.  Again  in  Kentucky,    . 
V.  On  Hatteras  Mission, 

VI.  We  Found  a  Jewel,    . 

VII.  In  the  Carolina  Mountains 
VIII.  Butting  the  Dumplings, 

IX.  Making  Coffee  in  the  Baby 


s  Bath  Tub. 


PAGE 
17 

23 
27 
37 
41 
43 
47 
5t 
53 


CONTENTS— Continued 


X.  Scattered  Reminiscences, 

XI.  The  Smart  Fool,    . 

XII.  A  "Miss.Take,"      . 

XIII.  Trying  to  Strike  a  Bargain,    . 

XIV.  Brother  Smith, 

XV.  Gathering  Up  the  Scraps, 

XVI.  One  Poor  Soul  Made  Happy, 

XVII.  "Good  Isaac," 

XVIII.  Crowning  the  Queen,     . 


PACE 

57 
59 
63 
67 
73 
77 
81 
85 
91 


CONTENTS— Continued 


PAGE 

99 
103 


XIX.  Beginning  Work  in  Norfolk,  . 

XX.  Building  a  Church  in  Huntcrsvillc, 

XXI.  Fenner  S.  Pigott— The  Story  of  a  Beauti 

ful  Life, Ill 

XXII.  The  Story  of  a  Beautiful  Life  (Continued),       115 

XXIII.  The  Story  of  a  Beautiful  Life  (Concluded),     129 

XXIV.  Leaves  From  My  Scrap-Book,         .         .       I49 


Now,  0  Lord!  fulfil  thy  pleasure, 
Breathe  upon  thy  chosen  band. 

And,  with  pentecostal  measure. 

Send  forth  reapers  o'er  the  land, — 

Faithful  reapers. 
Gathering  sheaves  for  thy  ri^ht  hand. 


Broad  the  shadow  of  our  station, 
Ea^er  millions  hither  roam, 

Lo!  they  wait  for  thy  salvation; 
Come,  Lord  Jesus!  quickly  come! 

By  thy  Spirit 
Brin^  thy  ransomed  people  home. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 


I  was  born  in  the  historic  town  of  Beau- 
fort, K  C,  April  21,  1831. 

My  father  was  a  shipbuilder  by  trade,. 
and  also  a  sailor.  He  was  very  prominent 
in  that  section,  both  in  church  and  in  poli- 
tics; and  by  industry,  sobriety,  and  econ- 
omy, acquired  quite  a  fortime  of  about 
$30,000,  which  was  a  large  amount  in  those 
days.  He  was  a  true  type  of  the  Southern 
gentleman,  and  a  fond  husband  and  affec- 
tionate father ;  and  he  believed  in  progress. 

Being  a  zealous  Democrat,  he  named  me 
for  Levi  Woodbury,  who  was  Secretary  of 
2  (17) 


18  EXPERIENCES  OF 

the  Treasury  under  Andrew  Jackson  at  the 
time  of  my  birth. 

When  five  summei-s  had  rolled  over  my 
head,  he  sent  me,  along  with  the  other  chil- 
dren— there  were  six  of  us — to  school,  and 
kept  us  there  as  long  as  we  gave  promise 
of  development.  In  my  twentieth  year  I 
embraced  reKgion  and  united  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South.  Soon 
afterwards  I  was  licensed  to  preach;  but, 
on  account  of  previous  bad  health  from 
ague  and  fever,  I  made  little  progress  for 
some  years.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  I 
was  married  to  one  of  the  best  women  that 
the  Lord  ever  made.  She  still  abides  with 
me.  We  had  two  children,  both  of  whom 
are  now  in  Heaven. 

I  am  now  seventy  years  of  age.  If  I  am 
a  very  poor  man,  it  is  not,  I  trust,  because 
I  have  lacked  intellect,  nor  is  it  because  I 
was  devoid  of  ambition  or  thrift.  I  have 
not  been  a  profligate,  or  thriftless,  or  an 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  19 

idler.  I  am  poor  because  I  cliose  to  devote 
my  time  to  Him  who  had  done  so  much  for 
me.  Thirty-five  of  the  'best  years  of  my 
young  manhood  were  spent  in  the  cause  of 
God  and  humanity.  I  have  given  to  this 
cause  all  the  talent,  influence,  and  much  of 
the  little  money  I  have  made.  I  have  en- 
deavored to  soothe  the  suffering,  to  com- 
fort the  broken-hearted,  and  to  do  what- 
ever I  could  for  the  good  of  others  where- 
ever,  in  God's  providence,  I  might  happen 
to  be.  And  I  have  the  consolation  of  know- 
ing that  I  have  comforted  many  an  aching 
heart,  relieved  much  suffering,  and  en- 
couraged and  persuaded  many  a  poor  sinner 
to  forsake  the  error  of  his  ways  and  to  lead 
the  life  that  ends  in  bliss  at  God's  right 
hand  in  Heaven.  These  reflections  are  a 
solace  to  my  beart  in  my  old  age,  and  a 
greater  satisfaction  than  millions  of  this 
world's  goods  could  afford,  for  I  feel  that 
it   is   just  so   much   treasure   laid   up   in 


20  EXPERIENCES  OF 

Heaven  — funds  in  the  bank  above  in  the 
Celestial  City,  where  moth  and  rust  can- 
not corrupt,  and  where  thieves  cannot 
break  through  and  steal.  Hence,  I  feel 
that  while  I  have  not  attained  to  fame  and 
have  not  amassed  wealth,  nor  gained  honor, 
such  as  is  common  amongst  men,  that  my 
life  has  not  been  a  failure.  For  if  a  man 
could  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul,  what  doth  it  profit  him? 

'No;  I  do  not  regTct  my  condition,  nor 
do  I  mention  my  poverty  in  a  complaining 
spirit;  I  do  not  murmur  at  God's  dealings 
with  me  in  my  journey  through  this  life; 
but  rather  rejoice  to  know  that  I  was 
counted  worthy  to  work  in  his  vineyard 
and  to  suffer  for  his  cause. 

In  writing  this  book,  I  have  been 
prompted  by  the  desire  to  leave  on  record 
some  word  that  may  prove  a  blessing  to 
others  and  in  some  way  help  the  Master's 
cause.     I  especially  desire  the  church  and 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  21 

the  world  to  have  an  insiglit  into  the  life, 
labors,  and  hardships  of  the  home  mission- 
ary's life.  I  feel  that  such  an  insight  will 
lead  men  to  ask  if  the  home  mission  work 
is  so  hard  and  rough,  and  requires  so  much 
faith  and  grace,  work,  prayers,  and  tears, 
what  must  the  foreign  work  be? 


II. 

A  COLPOKTEUR  IN  KENTUCKY. 


While  I  was  in  Kentucky  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  sixties,  I  went  to  see  Dr.  Savage, 
the  General  Agent  of  the  American  Bible 
Society,  and  asked  him  to  give  me  work  in 
the  city  of  Lexington.  ''I  would  be  very 
glad  to  give  you  employment,  Brother 
Pigott,"  he  said,  "but  as  you  are  a  local 
preacher,  I  am  afraid  the  Board  would  ob- 
ject to  it."  I  looked  at  him  in  surprise, 
and  he  hastened  to  explain.  ''Some  time 
ago,"  he  said,  ''the  Society  employed  a  local 
preacher  in  this  section,  w^ho  one  day  met 
a  very  beautiful  woman,  in  an  elegant 'home 
in  Payette  county.  Seeing  that  she  wa.- 
(23) 


2Jf  EXPERIENCES  OF 

dressed  in  deep  mourning,  lie  supposed  she 
was  a  widow,  and  the  old  fool  made  love  to 
her.  When  he  had  finished  she  answered 
coolly,  ^Sir,  my  husband  will  be  at  home 
very  soon,  and  I  would  advise  you  to  leave/ 
The  incident  got  abroad,  and  the  result  was 
the  agent  was  summarily  discharged." 

However,  the  Doctor  presented  my  ap- 
plication, and  the  Board  agreed  to  taJ^e  me 
on  condition  that  I  would  report  at  the  end 
of  each  week.  I  accepted  the  offer  to  work, 
not  only  to  do  good,  but  to  redeem  the  rep- 
utation of  the  local  preacher,  and  at  the 
end  of  three  weeks,  having  worked  so  earn- 
estly and  having  been  so  careful  to  walk 
with  circumspection,  and  with  regard  for 
my  name  as  a  Christian,  the  Board  decided 
to  give  me  permanent  work,  and  the  weekly 
reports  were  discontinued.  I  canvassed  the 
entire  city,  and  subsequently  the  entire 
county.  After  finisliing  my  work  in  this 
section  I  went  to  the   county'"  of  Owen, 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  25 

where,  in  addition  to  my  Bible  work,  I 
organized  and  revived  many  Sunday 
schools.  This  has  been  my  loved  employ- 
ment through  life,  and  I  was  very  happy 
in  it  there,  as  I  have  always  been. 


III. 

AX  ARKAXSAS  MISSIOX 


111  1870,  while  visiting  the  General  Con- 
ference of  the  Southem  Methodist  Church 
in  Memphis,  I  noticed  in  a  paper  an  adver- 
tisement stating  that  a  missionary  was 
needed  in  Chicot  county,  Arkansas.  I  ap- 
plied for  the  position  and  was  soon  on  the 
field;  hnt  in  a  little  while  the  presiding 
elder  sent  me  to  a  circuit  seventy  miles 
farther  up  the  country.  On  reaching  my 
new  work,  I  was  met  by  one  of  the  stewards 
of  the  circuit — a  little  red-headed  brother 
named  McCauley — and  a  better  man  never 
trod  the  earth — who  greeted  me  with: 

^'Brother  Pigott,  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
(27) 


2S  EXPERIENCES  OF 

you,  but  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  the 
memibers  say  they  will  not  pay  you." 

"That's  all  right,  brother,"  I  replied,  ''I 
am  here  by  proper  authority  of  the  church 
and  I  am  going  to  stay.  If  you  don't  pay 
me,  I  will  get  a  school  and  teach  and  sup- 
port myself  and  preach  for  nothing."  I 
applied  to  the  School  Board  and  was  ap- 
pointed to  teach  a  school  four  or  five  miles 
beyond  tiie  limits  of  my  circuit.  While 
there  I  organized  a  Sunday  school  in  my 
sohool-^house.  In  those  days  a  Simday 
school  was  regarded  as  rather  premature 
in  that  section,  and  when  I  suggested  that 
good  old  Brother  Hill  be  elected  superin- 
tendent, he  replied: 

"  'No,  no ;  you  ran  it  yourself.  There  is 
no  need  of  a.  Sunday  school  down  in  these 
piney  woods  nohow J^ 

I  compromised  matters  by  making  Mrs. 
Pigott  superintendent,  so  t?hat  the  work 
could  go  on  while  I  was  out  on  the  circuit. 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  29 

My  work  on  this  circuit  was  most  graciously 
blessed,  and  we  had  gracious  revivals  at  all 
my  points.  AVithin  four  months  after  I 
had  reached  the  field  seventy-five  or  eighty 
persons  had  been  converted.  My  school 
brought  me  in  ninety  dollars,  and  my  peo- 
ple, contrary  to  their  promise,  paid  me  the 
same  amount. 

One  day  I  started  out  on  a  trip  around 
tihe  circuit  to  make  friends  with  the  official 
brethren  who  had  declared  that  they  would 
not  pay  me.  After  stopping  at  Brother 
Maxwell's  I  started  to  go  over  to  see  old 
Uncle  Robert  Gaddey. 

^'I  w^ould  not  go  over  there  if  I  were 
you/'  said  Maxwell.  '^I  don't  think  you 
vrill  like  Uncle  Bob;  he  is  a  very  strange 
man  and  ihas  some  very  peculiar  ways." 

''Well,"  I  replied,  ''I  will  go  and  see  for 
myself." 

So  off  I  went  to  find  Uncle  Bob.  It  was 
a  rough  country,  sparsely  settled,  with  few 


30  EXPERIENCES  OF 

large  roads,  and  sometimes  there  was  noth- 
ing more  than  an  Indian  trail  to  follow, 
and  often  this  led  me  to  where  five  or  six 
trails  diverged,  and  I  was  left  to  guess  the 
way.  It  took  me  nearly  all  dav  to  go  a 
few  miles.  Late  in  the  afternoon  I  reached 
the  neighborhood,  and  learned  to  my  grati- 
fication that  Uncle  Bob  was  a  native  of  my 
own  State.  I  rode  up  to  his  bars — tlhere 
were  no  gates  in  that  section — and  called 
to  him.  He  was  sitting  in  a  covered  place 
between  his  two  log  huts  and  engaged  in 
mending  his  harness. 

I  said,  "Come  out  here,  Uncle  Bob." 
The  old  man  immediately  arose,  with  his 
awl  and  harness  still  in  his  hands,  and  came 
to  the  bars. 

"Uncle  Bob,"  I  said,  "can  you  take  care 
of  a  Xorth  Carolinian  to-night?" 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  cordially,  "get  down," 
and  he  began  to  draw  out  the  bars  to  let  me 
in.     As  we  walked  along  together  to  the 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  31 

house  I  said,  ^T^ncle  Bob,  I  am  jour  new 
preacher.''  He  turned  around,  and  raising' 
his  spectacles,  scanned  me  from  head  to 
foot,  and  then  said,  ^'Well,  I  am  glad  to  see 
you;  come  in,  come  in." 

As  we  sat  and  talked  under  the  shed  he 
said  to  me,  ''Brother  Pigott,  what  kind  of 
work  were  you  doing  before  you  went  to 
preaching?"  I  replied  that  I  had  not  been 
engaged  in  any  sort  of  manual  work. 
''Then,  sir/'  said  the  old  man,  "that  is  a  bad 
re-com-modationy  I  explained  that  my 
father  had  kept  me  at  school,  and  being  in 
good  circumstances,  would  not  allow  me  to 
work.  I  could  see  that  the  old  man.  was  not 
quite  satisfied;  but  I  persevered  in  my  in- 
tentions to  make  a  friend  of  him,  and  I 
succeeded.  Moreover,  my  work  through- 
out this  circuit  prospered,  and  I  had  a 
happy  year.  After  w^e  had  had  great  re- 
vivals, some  one  m^eeting  "Uncle  Bob"  one 
day  asked,   "How   do  you   like   the  new 


32  EXPERIENCES  OF 

preaclier  now,  Uncle  Bob?"  And  he  re- 
plied, ''Oil,  liiisli!  Let  me  alone.  I  am 
never  going  to  talk  about  another  preacher 
that  way.'' 

When  I  went  on  circuit  we  had  to  live 
in  a  large  farmhouse  that  had  been  for- 
saken by  its  owner.  This  house  stood  in 
the  midst  of  a  magnificent  farm  of  twelve 
hundred  acres  of  cotton  land,  but  the  eman- 
cipation of  the  slaves  had  reduced  the 
owner  to  such  straits  that  he  was  unable  to 
run  the  farm,  and  he  left  it.  We  bad  little 
or  no  furniture,  and  we  were  compelled  to 
sleep  on  the  floor  and  to  eat  off  a  box.  Many 
of  the  windows  were  broken,  and  as  there 
were  no  shutters,  we  were  at  the  mercy  of 
all  sorts  of  ^^inged  prowlers,  and  every 
night  we  would  be  visited  by  owls,  which 
made  the  place  hideous  with  their 
screeches.  The  place  was  so  far  from 
everywhere  that  nobody  would  come  to  see 
us,  and  we  were  glad  when  we  were  finally 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  33 

afble  to  leave  it  for  a  more  bearable,  if  an 
lium'bler  place,  on  the  lower  end  of  the  cir- 
cuit. It  was  a  mere  cabin,  Avith  an  enor- 
mous fireplace  and  without  windows.  Wihen 
it  was  cold  and  it  was  necessary  to  shut  the 
door,  my  wife  was  compelled  to  sit  in  one 
side  of  the  fireplace  to  see  how  to  sew,  as 
tjhe  only  light  came  through  the  chimney. 
Tte  cabin  was  owned  by  a  member  of  my 
church — a  convert  under  my  ministry 
named  Xeiman,  an  illiterate,  but  a  most 
excellent  man.  We  paid  nothing  for  rent 
or  fuel,  and  even  the  smokehoiise  was  open 
throug*h  his  kindness  to  supply  our  w^ants. 
We  remained  in  this  bumible  home  about 
three  mionths,  and  when  we  went  away  we 
left  the  whole  family  crying  at  the  gate 
like  little  children.  Probably  we  were 
never  happier,  my  wife  and  I,  than  during 
the  short  days  we  spent  in  that  humble 
cabin. 

From   this   circuit  I  went   to   i^evada 
3 


34  EXPERIENCES  OF 

county,  about  fifty  miles  south  of  Little 
Eock,  where  I  taught  another  school  and 
organized  and  managed  a  flourishing  Sun- 
day school.  Although  it  was  one  of  the 
best  neighborhoods  I  'had  ever  seen,  there 
Avas  no  Sunday  school,  though  there  were 
many  ohurchi  members  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  beginning  of  the  Sunday  school 
was  exceedingly  modest  and  hemmed  about 
mth  many  discouragements.  The  brethren 
were  fond  of  telling  us  that  it  would  not 
last  through  the  summer,  but  I  replied  that 
my  school  was  not  made  of  that  sort  of 
stuff.  There  was  no  fireplace  in  the  school- 
house,  but  Avhen  cold  weather  came  we 
would  build  a  fire  outdoors  and  allow  the 
children  to  go  out  and  warm  theonselves 
when  tOiey  became  cold.  It  was  thirty  years 
ago  that  this  work  was  started,  and  it  is 
going  on  to  this  day.  I  remember  putting 
over  the  pulpit  a  banner  which  I  painted, 
on  which  was  inscribed,  "God  is  love,"  and 


A  HOME  MISi^IONART.  So 

I  am  told  that  the  banner  is  still  there,  and 
that  the  people  are  not  willing  that  it 
should  be  taken  down  on  any  accoiuit;  they 
wamt  it  to  remember  Brother  Pigott  by. 
And  so  thongth  through  these  years  so  lar 
away,  it  is  a  comfort  to  know  that  I  am 
still  preaching  there  to  these  people  from 
that  same  text,  ''God  is  love." 

After  the  school  was  well  under  the  way 
we  liad  a  great  revival,  in  which  God  won- 
derfully blessed  the  whole  neighborhood, 
forty  or  more  of  the  teachers  and  scholars 
being  happily  converted. 


IV. 
AGAIN  m  KENTUCKY. 


Back  in  the  sixties,  ^^^lien  tlie  war  be- 
tween the  States  was  at  its  fiercest,  eighteen 
members  of  the  Kentucky  Conference,  who 
were  in  sympathy  with  the  North,  seceded 
and  organized  a  conference  of  their  own, 
uniting  with  the  Northern  branch  of  the 
Church.      Some   of   the   members   of  this 
conference  made  themselves  ver^^  disagTce- 
able,  and  did  no  little  harm  by  proclaiming 
to  the  people  everywhere  they  went  that 
the  Southern  Methodist  Church  was  dead, 
and  that  if  they  wanted  to  continue  to  be 
Methodists  they  must   join  the  Northern 
Church.     In    the    section  of    which  I  am 
(37) 


38  EXPERIENCES  OF 

Speaking  they  Avere  so  successful  that  every 
Methodist  vc^s  carried  away  except  one  old 
maid. 

"  I  told  them  no,"  she  said,  in  explaining 
her  position,  ^^  for  I  ahvays  did  sorter  like 
that  word  South  anyhow." 

This  old  lady  continued  steadfast  in  the 
faith,  though  entirely  alone,  throughout 
the  war,  and  a  year  or  two  after  it  was  over, 
when  a  Southern  Methodist  preacher  again 
appeared  on  the  gTound  she  had  her  reward. 

"  Glory  to  God!  "  shouted  the  old  lady; 
"  I  knew  it,  I  knew  it ;  the  old  Church  is 
not  dead  yet!  " 

It  was  my  pleasure  to  aid  this  preacher, 
Brother  Boswell — a  magnificent  specimen 
of  a  man,  by-the-way — to  reorganize  the 
old  Church  in  this  territory.  The  work  was 
not  without  its  difiiculties,  and  often  we 
went  with  our  lives  in  our  hands.  Some- 
times our  enemies  threatened  to  tar  and 
feather  us,  but  our  disciple  brethren,  who 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  39 

were  all  of  our  political  creed,  came  to  our 
help  and  told  them  plainly  that  it  would 
not  be  safe  to  try  that  game. 

One  day  I  started  for  my  appointment  at 
Barboursville.  It  \\^s  a  twenty-five-mile 
ride,  and  the  day  was  the  coldest,  it  seems 
to  me,  I  ever  experienced.  The  people  dis- 
cussed the  probabilities  of  my  coming,  and 
the  general  verdict  was  that  I  would  not 
have  the  courage  to  come  through  such 
weather.  But  Kichard  Herndon,  a  lawyer 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  a  native  of  Xorth 
Carolina,  insisted  that  I  would  be  there, 
because,  as  U  said,  ''  he  is  a  Southern 
Methodist  and  a  Democrat." 

We  got  the  Church  thoroughly  reorgan- 
ized that  year,  and  things  were  moving 
along  admirably.  On  this  circuit  I  met  an 
old  Dutchman,  of  the  name  of  Phoff,  who 
was  one  of  the  most  interesting  talkers  I 
have  met.  Talking  to  me  one  day  about 
Shei-man's  raid,  he  said,  '^A  company  of 


JfO  EXPERIENCES  OF 

Dutchmen  came  along  the  road  and  several 
said,  speaking  in  Dutch,  '  Let's  go  in  here 
and  see  what  we  can  find.'  The  old  man 
heard  them  and  called  out  to  them  in  their 
own  language.  They  stopped  a  moment  in 
great  surprise,  and  thev  were  so  overjoyed 
at  coming  thus  suddenly  upon  one  of  their 
own  blood  that  they  ran  up  to  him,  and 
one  after  the  other  hugged  him  vigorously, 
exclaiming,  'Mien  Gott!  Mien  Gott! 
Dutchman!  Dutchman!'  It  is  needless  to 
add  that  they  made  no  raid  on  the  old  man's 
home  that  day." 


y. 

OlSr  HATTEEAS  MISSIOIST. 


Another  place  where  we  had  a  great  deal 
of  difficulty  with  our  friends  of  the  ^^Torth 
was  down  on  Hatteras  Mission,  off  the 
Eastern  coast  of  Xorth  Carolina.  A  dis- 
agreeable old  brother  of  the  Northern  de- 
nomination succeeded  so  well  in  persuading 
the  people  that  families  were  divided, 
brothers  against  brothers  and  fathers 
against  sons,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  island 
they  were  at  daggers'  points,  each  ready  to 
spill  his  blood  for  his  own  denomination. 
It  was  a  terrible  state  of  things  that  I  found 
when  I  was  sent  there  shortly  after  the  war. 
Wherever  I  went  people  stopped  to  ask  me 
(41) 


Ji2  EXPERIENCES  OF 

Avliich  side  I  was  on.  They  were  always 
ready  for  a  fight  of  some  sort.  My  only 
reply  was  that,  "  I  am  on  nobody's  side 
except  the  Lord's.  I  am  here  to  fight  the 
devil,  and  I  don't  propose  to  fight  any  one 
else."  Happily,  this  answer  satisfied  them 
so  well  that  the  way  was  open  for  me,  and 
I  was  enabled  to  do  my  work  without  hin- 
drance and  with  a  large  degree  of  success. 
Although  I  was  on  the  isle  only  seven 
months,  Ave  had  one  hundred  conversions, 
and  the  entire  Church  was  greatly  revived, 
and  many  old  woimds  were  healed  forever. 


VI. 

WE  FOUND  A  JEWEL. 


While  in  Arkansas,  I  learned  of  the  criti- 
cal illness  of  my  mother  in  Beaufort,  X.  C, 
and  I  at  once  started  for  home.  There  were 
no  public  conYeyances  of  any  kind,  and 
wagons  and  mules  were  scarce;  but  we 
obtained  one  to  take  our  beds  and  baggage, 
and,  there  being  no  room  for  us  to  ride,  we 
went  in  company  with  others  who  were  car- 
rying their  cotton  to  market,  to  the  town 
of  Camden,  Arkansas,  twenty  miles  distant, 
from  Avhich  town  we  were  to  take  a  steamer 
down  the  Onchita.  On  the  road  to  Camden 
it  began  to  rain.  My  son  and  I  had  to  walk 
about  ten  miles  o^er  this  road,  which  was 
(43) 


U  EXPERIENCES  OF 

undulating  and  of  red  claj,  making  it  bad 
for  pedestrians  like  us;  and  mj  wife  had 
to  ride  lying  flat  on  the  top  of  a  cotton  bale, 
which  was  under  cover,  the  old-time  way 
of  traveling,  and  it  was  an  extremely  rough 
ride.  My  son  and  I  were  soaking  wet;  but 
on  reaching  Camden  we  found  a  ''Jewel" — 
the  presiding  elder  of  the  district,  and  a 
Jewel  by  both  name  and  nature^ — who  re- 
ceived us  very  cordially  and  entertained  us 
all  night  right  royally  with  brotherly  love 
and  affection.  Well,  we  lodged  with 
Brother  Jewel  that  night,  and  next  day 
took  a  steamer  down  the  Onchita  river; 
then  into  the  Black  river;  then  into  the 
Bed  river;  next  into  the  Mississippi;  thence 
to  New  Orleans,  a  distance  of  eight  hun- 
dred miles.  It  took  us  four  days  to  make 
the  trip,  having  to  stop  at  many  landings  to 
take  on  cotton,  until  we  had  nine  hundred 
bales.  AYe  arrived  at  I^ew  Orleans  about 
daylight,  and  remained  imtil  five  o'clock 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  J^o 

that  evening.  As  we  passed  through  the 
city  on  the  train  we  saw  many  oranges 
growing  in  the  yards.  At  the  same  time 
snow  was  falling  fast  in  large  flakes;  and 
the  snow  falling  and  the  oranges  growing 
seemed  to  be  a  contradiction;  but  so  it  was. 

From  Xew  Orleans  we  went  on  to 
Mobile,  Alabama,  traveling  over  some  long- 
trestles — one  was  twenty-five  or  thirty 
miles,  if  I  recollect  rightly — across  the 
bays  that  made  in  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

AVe  arrived  home  safe  and  found  my 
dear,  precious  mother  in  bed;  but  she  w^as 
so  overjoyed  at  seeing  us  that  she  got  up 
and  never  was  sick  after  that  until  her 
death  sickness — about  five  vears  afterwards. 


IK  THE  CAR0LIIs^4.  MOUNTAINS. 


On  one  occasion,  while  assisting  a  Metho- 
dist preacher  named  Shelton  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Xorth  Carolina,  we  went  to  spend 
the  night  with  a  family;  and  this  w^as  my 
first  experience  of  such  crude  life.  The 
log  house  was  about  twenty  feet  square 
and  had  a  ladder  to  ascend  the  loft,  where 
the  young  men  of  the  family  slept.  The 
rest^ — father,  mother  and  daughters — two 
tremendous  girls — with  the  preachers  and 
visitors  all  slept  below  in  one  room,  where 
there  were  about  four  beds.  Finally, 
Brother  Shelton  said,  ''  I  am  going  to  bed," 
and  hastily  removing  his  clothing,  jumped 
(47) 


J{8  EXPERIENCES  OF 

in  bed.  That  opened  my  eves,  and  I  waited 
a  while,  thinking  they  would  let  the  fire  go 
out,  or  that  the  young  men  and  women 
would  go  out  so  I  could  disrobe  and  retire, 
too;  but,  no;  there  they  sat  and  talked 
until  it  was  very  late,  and  now  and  then 
would  mend  up  the  fire  by  throwing  in 
pine  knots. 

This  primitive  custom  of  the  mingling  of 
the  sexes  was  so  new  to  me  that  I  did  not 
know  what  course  to  take.  Finally,  I  had 
to  come  to  it,  and  I  summoned  up  courage 
to  go  to  bed;  and  it  was  a  miserable  night 
I  spent,  for  Shelton,  when  he  jumped  in, 
had  carried  all  the  feathers  with  him  and 
left  a  high  ridge  in  the  bed  which  had  been 
made  by  persons  sleeping  on  the  back  part 
of  the  bed  and  mashing  it  down.  This  was 
rough  indeed  and  quite  sufficient  for  me. 

In  the  same  section  we  went  to  another 
meeting,  and  after  meeting  my  wife  and  I 
went  to  spend  the  night  at  a  farm-house 


A  HOME  MISSIO:^ARY.  49 

which  contained  one  large  room,  with  four 
or  five  beds  in  it.  We  went  to  the  lodging 
place  before  the  girls.  When  w^e  got  ready 
for  bed  the  mother  and  father  were  there; 
but  instead  of  turning  their  backs  upon  us, 
they  just  put  their  chairs  near  the  side  of 
the  chimney  and  planted  themselves  in  full 
view  till  we  were  in  bed.  After  a  while  the 
girls  came  home  and  retired  for  the  night 
in  the  same  room.  I  was  sorry  for  my  wife, 
for  she  was  so  very  modest,  and  it  was  a 
sad,  rough  experience  to  her. 

The  mountains  are  rough,  and  in  many 
instances  they  are  unsightly,  for  there  is  no 
beauty  nor  symmetry  in  them,  and  although 
they  Avere  made  by  the  master  hand  of  the 
Almighty  Architect  of  the  imiverse,  yet 
they  seemed  to  be  in  an  unfinished  condi- 
tion ;  for  one  after  another  they  raise  their 
mighty,  terrible  heads  one  above  the  other, 
as  if  to  domineer  over  those  of  a  less  degree 
of  magnitude ;  and  they  seem  to  say,  "  We 
4 


50  EXPERIENCES  OF 

dare  you!"  In  many  cases  tlie  inhabitants 
of  these  are  like  the  mountains  amidst 
which  they  reside — rough,  uncultured, 
crude  in  their  manners,  habits  and  spirit. 
But  sometimes  you  meet  ■^\4th  those  who 
manifest  deep  emotions,  and  are  as  kind 
and  gentle  and  lovable  as  it  is  possible  for 
them  to  be.  Yes,  in  some  instances  we 
(I  say  ive,  because  my  wife,  the  dear  part- 
ner of  my  bosom,  who  was  with  me  as  the 
partner  of  my  labors  and  joys  and  sorrows, 
and  who  was  fully  imbued  with  the  mission 
spirit,  and  did  very  efficient  sen^ice,  too) 
found  "  fathers  and  mothers  and  brothers 
and  sisters  in  Israel,"  and  when  at  their 
homes  it  was  sweet  rest  and  peace — an  oasis 
in  the  desert,  and  as  the  "shadow  of  a  great 
rock  in  a  weary  land." 


YIII. 
BUTTmG  THE  DUMPLINGS. 


I  used  to  hear  this  story: 

When  the  missionary  first  went  to  the 
''Cape  Banks/'  on  the  seacoast  of  Xorth 
Carolina,  on  one  occasion  the  family  on 
going  to  meeting,  left  one  of  the  boys  at 
home  to  attend  to  the  dinner-pot  that  had 
been  put  on.  Amongst  other  edibles  in  the 
pot  was  a  sheep's  head;  and  when  the  pot 
began  to  boil  temptestously  the  boy  be- 
came uneasy  and  ran  to  the  meeting-house 
to  call  his  mother.  On  reaching  the  house 
he  caught  sight  of  his  mother  and  she  of 
him.  He  called  to  her  to  come  out;  but 
she  was  so  much  interested  in  the  preaching 
(51) 


52  EXPERIENCES  OF 

she  did  not  want  to  leave,  and  she  began  to 
wave  her  hand  and  nod  her  head  for  him  to 
be  quiet  and  go  back,  whereupon  the  boy 
said :  "  Mammy,  you  need  not  wink  and 
blink,  but  I  tell  you  I'll  swear  if  you  don't 
go  home  that  sheep's  head  will  butt  all  the 
dumplings  out  of  the  pot." 

This  reminds  me  of  a  story  which  the 
Rev.  J.  W.  Crow^der,  a  colporteur,  used  to 
tell  of  a  visit  to  an  humble  iiome  in  the 
mountains  of  Xorth  Carolina.  One  day  as 
he  walked  in  he  greeted  the  occupants 
with — 

^^My  friends,  I  am  out  here  looking  for 
the  lost  siheep  of  the  house  of  Israel." 

The  mother  of  the  family  stopped  her 
spinning,  and  looking  up  at  the  old  man, 
who  sat  in  the  corner  smoking  his  pipe,  ex- 
claimed, 

^^Old  man,  old  man,  I'll  bet  you  that  was 
one  of  old  Israel's  sheep  that  w^as  at  our 
bars  yesterday." 


IX. 

MAKIXG  COFFEE  IK  THE  BABY'S 
BATH-TUB. 


While  engaged  in  mission  work  in  the 
monntains  of  Kentucky  in  1869,  after 
preaching  one  day  my  wife  and  I  were 
invited  to  spend  the  night  with  a  brother. 
He  was  a  hard-looking  customer,  but  rather 
than  give  offence — which  our  refusal  would 
certainly  do — we  accepted  the  invitation 
and  went.  I  did  not  enjoy  my  ^dsit  at  all. 
The  house  and  the  people,  and,  in  fact, 
everything  connected  with  the  place  looked 
filthy.  They  put  us  to  sleep  in  an  out- 
room  in  one  end  of  the  piazza — a  rudely 
constructed  room  of  rough  boards,  and 
with  many  and  large  cracks  in  it.  Every- 
thing about  the  room  was  uninviting,  and 
(53) 


54        ,  EXPERIENCES  OF 

my  Avife  found  it  necessaiy  to  use  her  shawl 
and  other  clothing  for  bedding. 

The  man  had  a  good  farm  and  plenty  of 
eveiy thing  to  eat;  but  in  spite  of  that,  we 
fared  worse  there  than  at  any  other  place 
at  which  we  stopped. 

The  next  morning  my  wife  noticed  the 
woman  cooking  breakfast  and  dressing  the 
baby.  She  washed  the  baby  in  a  pan;  she 
then  threw  the  water  out — it  was  a  wonder 
she  did  not  empty  it  in  the  teakettle — but, 
without  washing  the  same  pan  in  which  she 
had  washed  the  baby,  she  took  it  and  dipped 
water  out  of  the  water-bucket  and  poured 
it  in  the  kettle  and  made  coffee  vnth  it — 
for  they  made  their  coffee  in  a  teakettle, 
and  not  in  a  coffee-pot.  My  wife  did  not 
tell  me  at  the  time,  for  she  knew  my  spirit 
and  did  not  want  to  tell  me  until  we  had 
left  the  house — and  to  think  that  I  had 
drunk  some  of  that  coffee.  If  I  had  known 
it  I  would  not  have  drunk  it  to  have  saved 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  o5 

the  woman^s  life.  Though  it  has  been 
thirty  years  since  I  drank  it,  it  makes  me 
sick  now  to  think  of  it.  That  was  certainly 
the  nastiest,  filthiest  pill  I  ever  had  to  swal- 
low. That  was  one  time  above  all  other 
times  in  my  history  that  I  realized  the  fact 
that  '^cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness. '^ 

In  that  section  there  was  a  common  say- 
ing to  this  effect:  When  they  would  invite 
you  to  stop  all  night,  or  a  part  of  the  day 
even,  they  would  say,  ''Come,  stop  with  us 
all  night.  It  is  rough,  I  know,  but  if  ive 
can  make  out  with  it  all  the  time  you  can 
do  so  for  one  night  J  ^ 

1  had  on  that  circuit  three  little  towns 
which  had  big  names — viz.,  London,  Man- 
chester and  Barboursville. 

Up  in  that  mountain  region  of  Kentucky 
a  young  lady  professed  religion,  and  as  she 
got  up  shouting,  she  said,  "  Good  gi-acious, 
gramminy  jenkins-es  crank — how  good  I 
feel!'' 


X. 

SCATTERED  REMIXISCElNrCES. 


Several  times  I  visited  a  family  whose 
liabit  was  to  get  up  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  make  a  fire  and  get  breakfast 
about  five  o'clock,  then  sit  around  a  big  fire 
till  day.  I  would  not  get  up,  but  lay  in 
bed  until  about  daylight.  The  first  time 
I  did  it  the  old  lady  herself — an  immense 
three-hundred  pounder — came  up,  opened 
my  door,  and  shouted  in  a  stentorian  voice : 

^^  Come  down  to  breakfast." 

I  said,  ^'  Please  excuse  me,  sister;  I  don't 
wish  any  breakfast." 

She  slammed  the  door  and  said,  ^'  I  don't 

(57) 


o8  EXPERIENCES  OP 

care  if  you  don't,"  and  went  her  way  as 
mad  as  a  hornet. 

Traveling  on  the  road  in  Kentucky  one 
day  I  came  across  a  boy  who  told  me  his 
name  was  Abraham-Batie-Kobertson- Allen- 
Hamilton- Alexander-MoiTow. 

We  came  across  a  young  woman  whose 
name  was  Alpha  Omega. 

An  old  man  in  Jones  county,  Xorth 
Carolina,  used  to  say  to  his  friends  who 
used  tobacco: 

"  My  friend,  it  is  an  e.rprising  7-ecum- 
stance  that  a  man  of  your  (iebility  should 
chai'j  hacker  to  such  a  recess  as  to  conjure 
your  n?stitution." 

In  my  mission  work  I  had  some  expe- 
riences which  were  exceedingly  pleasant 
and  some  that  would  shock  the  refined, 
polished  ear,  and  would  not  do  to  put  in 
print;  yet  true,  and  a  bitter  pill  to  swallow, 
nevertheless;  and  I  swallowed  many  of 
them. 


XI. 
A  SMART  FOOL. 


In  Chicot  county,  Arkansas,  I  met  with 
what  might  be  termed  a  smart  fool.  He 
was  a  Mississippian,  and  evidently  had  been 
reared  genteelly  and  in  refined  society.  He 
called  himself  ''  Captain  Jenks,"  and  no 
one  ever  knew  him  by  any  other  name. 
He  had  no  money,  and  it  was  evident  that 
he  had  slipped  away  from  his  family  and 
they  were  ignorant  of  his  whereabouts.  He 
was  educated  and  polished  in  manners;  was 
quite  an  athlete  and  good  looking.  But 
there  was  a  screw  loose  somewhere.  He 
got  his  board  by  doing  menial  service  for 
the  inhabitants.  One  day  I  heard  him  say 
to  them : 

(59) 


60  EXPERIENCES  OF 

"  I  am  a  Mississippi  hoozier  and  you  all 
are  Arkansas  liooziers.  You  are  like  the 
old  sow:  YOU  eat  the  acorns  and  never  look 
up  to  see  whence  thev  come;  you  feed  on 
God's  bounties  and  never  look  up  and 
thank  Him." 

He  told  me  this  storv:  Said  on  one  occa- 
sion, in  a  certain  city  a  rope-walker  had  his 
rope  stretched  across  the  street  from  the 
tops  of  the  houses,  and  thousands  of  people 
crowded  the  street  waiting  for  the  rope- 
Y'alker,  when  he  (Captain  Jenks)  gained 
access  to  the  rope  and  walked  out  on  it, 
and  when  he  was  about  midway  he  took  off 
his  cap^ — w^hich  was  a  regular  army  cap  of 
gmj  of  the  Confederate  army,  and  all  his 
suit  was  Confederate  uniform — waved  it, 
and,  addressing  the  vast  crowd,  said: 

"  Ladies  and  Gentlemen. — This  is  to 
prove  to  you  that  there  is  at  least  one  Con- 
federate soldier  still  alive." 

He  said  that  upon  this  the  crowd  cheered 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  61 

and  sliouted  terribly.  He  was  certainly  a 
natural  curiosity.  He  would  mount  the 
wildest  mule  of  two  years  and  ride  him.  I 
saw  bim  get  on  one,  and  the  mule  bucked 
witli  bim,  stood  on  bis  bind  feet,  kicked, 
and  even  rubbed  against  the  trees  to  get 
bim  off,  but  be  still  stuck  to  tbe  mule  and 
rode  bim  at  last. 


XII. 
A  "  MISS-TAKE/' 


One  day  in  Kentucky,  when  I  was  on  my 
work  for  the  American  Bible  Society  (as 
colporteur),  I  was  at  a  nice,  large  '^  blue- 
grass"  farm,  and  had  my  huge  saddle 
pockets  down  and  all  the  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments out  showing  them  to  the  family. 
The  mother  and  girls  were  looking  over 
them  and  seemed  to  be  pleased,  when  in 
came  the  servant  girl,  a  nice-looking  yellow 
girl,  and  the  lady  says,  "  Sallie,  don't  you 
want  a  Bible?"  And  inasmuch  as  she  had 
been  introduced  thus  to  me,  I  said,  "Oh, 
yes,  Sallie  must  have  a  Bible."  This  net- 
tled the  old  lady.  She  got  mad  and  would 
not  buy  any. 

(63) 


64  EXPERIENCES  OF 

I  left  the  house  and  went  on  my  way. 
In  a  few^  days  I  met  Dr.  Savage,  general 
agent.  Says  he:  "  There  is  a  little  com- 
plaint against  yon.''  I  was  surprised.  Then 
he  told  me  that  the  folks  at  a  certain  house 
got  mad  because  I  called  the  colored  girl 
''Miss  Sallie."  I  told  him  that  it  was  a 
mistake — that  I  did  not  say  "Miss  S'allie/' 
and  that  if  I  had  it  would  not  have  been 
a  crime.  He  says,  "  It  was  a  Miss-take , 
then." 

"  Yes,"  says  I,  ^^and  I  think  the  family 
was  one  of  those  'fire-eaters'  such  as  inhabit 
South  Carolina,  and  took  me  to  be  a 
Yankee  book-peddler." 

I  was  not  a  book-peddler — I  was  a  col- 
porteur, in  a  purely  missionary  work;  so 
that  explanation  satisfied  Dr.  Savage  and 
the  board,  and  I  went  on  my  way  rejoicing 
and  finished  my  canvassing  in  the  county, 
to  the  satisfaction  of  Dr.  Savage  and  the 
entire  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Lexing- 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  65 

ton  Auxiliary  Bible  Society;  and  then  it 
was  that  Dr.  Savage  commissioned  me 
to  go  to  another  county.  I  went  up 
there  and  went  to  work,  and  in  a  few 
weeks  I  had  ^dsited  one  hundred  and  sixty 
families,  and  found  one-fourth  of  them 
without  the  Bible  or  any  part  of  God's 
Book  in  the  house.  The  Doctor  came  up 
to  see  me  and  to  lecture  at  the  county 
seat  (Owensboro,  I  think),  and  during  his 
lecture  he  called  on  me  to  make  this  report 
to  the  congregation,  and  this  was  a  good 
point  for  him:  it  caused  him  to  get  a  fine 
collection,  and  it  astonislied  the  natives. 


XIII. 
TEYING  TO  STEIKE  A  BARGAIis^. 


In  this  county  one  day  on  my  work  I 
visited  a  farm  near  noonday.  The  man 
with  his  force — two  or  three  great  big  girls 
and  one  or  two  yonng  men,  also  of  giant- 
like dimensions — were  all  out  at  work,  but 
I  found  the  mother  and  wife  at  home.  She 
was  very  kind  in  entertaining  me  in  the 
best  manner  she  knew  how,  and  was  very 
much  delighted  with  my  Bibles  and  the 
exceedingly  low  prices;  for  the  American 
Bible  Society  not  only  sells  to  persons  able 
to  buy  at  prime,  or  net  cost,  all  salable 
books — /.  e.,  after  cost  of  making  and 
freight,  no  profit  is  put  on;  they  also  give 
(67) 


68  EXPERIENCES  OF 

free  a  Bible  or  Testament,  or  some  other 
portion  of  the  book,  as  the  case  may  be, 
to  any  one  who  has  none,  and  is  nnable  to 
buy  one.  AVell,  this  dear,  -good  old 
farmer's  wife  had  no  Bible  and  wanted  one 
badly — one  that  cost  $1.65  (quite  a  large 
size),  and  I  did  not  feel  free  to  give  her 
such  a  book.  Finally,  she  said,  "  I  have  no 
money;   if  I  had  I  would  take  this  Bible." 

It  was  now  about  half -past  eleven,  and  I 
packed  my  books  in  my  huge  saddle 
pockets,  which  would  hold  nearly  a  bushel, 
and  putting  them  on  my  horse  to  go  aw^ay, 
when  the  old  lady  broke  out  in  a  new 
place  and  says: 

''  Stranger,  won't  you  get  down  (for  I 
was  already  mounted  to  go)  and  get  dinner 
with  us?  My  man  and  the  boys  and  gals 
will  soon  be  in  for  dinner,  and  if  you  will 
stop  you  will  be  welcome,  stranger.  We 
ain't  got  none  of  this  yer  high  eatin',  but 
we  got  some  pork  and  peas,  and  we  will 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  69 

be  glad  if  you  will  eat  with  us,  and  git  your 
horse  fed,  too." 

This  last  was  good  news  to  me,  for  I 
would  rather  have  had  my  horse  fed  than 
to  have  been  fed  myself.    And  she  says : 

^'  Xow,  stranger,  if  you  will,  you  may  go 
put  your  horse  up  and  feed  him  yourself." 

This,  toOj  pleased  me  beautifully  and 
to  a  dot,  for  I  gave  Billy  a  fine  dinner  of 
corn  and  oats,  and  he  enjoyed  it,  you  may 
know\  When  I  took  him  out  to  start  he 
did  not  speak  to  me  about  his  dinner,  but  I 
knew  just  how^  he  felt,  and  if  he  thought, 
I  knew  his  thoughts. 

Well,  to  proceed :  After  I  had  performed 
this  kind  office  to  '^  Billy  "  I  took  out  my 
books  again  to  see  if  I  could  not  make  a 
trade  with  the  old  lady,  wdiereupon  she 
said: 

"  Stranger,  ^my  man'  (her  husband)  has 
got  fifty  dollars,  but  he  will  not  give  me 
any  of  it,  for  he  is  going  to  buy  a  cow  with 


10  EXPERIENCES  OF 

it,  and  he  would  not  give  me  a  dollar  to 
buy  a  Bible." 

She  bad  a  j^ard  full  of  fine  chickens — 
two  or  three  hundred  or  moi"e — and  this 
idea  struck  me: 

"  Sister/'  says  I,  "  whose  chickens  are 
those?" 

Says  she:  "  They  are  mine." 

^^Then/'  says  I;  "I'll  tell  you  what  I 
will  do:  I  will  sell  you  this  Bible  and  take 
it  in  chickens."  (I  think  she  said  they  were 
worth  eight  cents  apiece;  they  were  very 
cheap.) 

This  proposition  delighted  her;  her  eyes 
sparkled  and  her  face  was  lit  up  with  smiles 
of  sunshine  and  expressions  of  gladness; 
and  in  all  my  life  I  have  never  seen  such 
demonstrations  of  gladness  or  joy  at  any- 
thing of  an  earthly  nature.  Handing  her 
the  Bible,  I  said:  "  Next  Saturday  you  send 
to  Owensville  the  chickens  and  deliver 
them  to  Mr.  Brown  (a  grocer)." 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY,  11 

So  when  Saturday  came  the  chickens 
came  also  to  Mr.  Brown,  who  sold  them 
for  me  at  my  request,  and  I  made  one  soul 
at  least  happy  that  day. 


XIY. 
BKOTHER  SMITH. 


On  one  occasion,  at  the  missionary 
meeting  of  tlie  Conference  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  South,  Bishop 
McTyeire,  who  presided,  addressed  the 
meeting,  and  in  his  speech  he  told  them  of 
the  nice  large  crops  of  cotton  that  by 
God's  blessing  had  been  made,  and  gave 
this  example  to  show  that  some  had  not 
given  in  proportion  to  their  profits. 

"'Now/'  says  he,  ''there  is  Brother 
Smith  out  there;  he  has  made  three  hun- 
dred bags  of  cotton  this  year,  and  he  has 
given  only  twenty  dollars  to  the  mission 
cause  to  convert  the  world.  Why,"  he  says, 
(73) 


7//  EXPERIENCES  OF 

'^  Brother  Smith  ouglit  to  give  forty  dol- 
lars at  least,  for  God  has  abundantly 
blessed  him  this  year.'' 

After  the  Bishop's  speech,  Dr.  J.  B. 
McFerrin,  the  missionary  secretarv'  of  the 
Chnrch,  a  yery  talented  man,  as  witty  as  an 
Irishm.an,  and  a  very  fine  speaker,  said  he 
Avonld  come  after  the  Bishop  and  gather 
lip  the  scraps.  (He  was  the  finest  collector 
I  ever  heard,  and  the  best  missionary  secre- 
tary the  Church  ever  had,  or  ever  will 
have.)  He  went  on  with  his  speech,  and 
finally  he  came  to  the  Bishop's  ''  Brother 
Smith." 

'^  ;N"ow,"  he  says,  ''  there  is  the  Bishop's 
Brother  Smith  who  has  made  three  hun- 
dred bags  of  cotton  this  year  and  has  given 
onl}^  twenty  dollars  to  'convert  the  world.' 
^ow.  Brother  Smith  ought  to  do  better 
than  that  and  give  us  twenty  dollars 
more,"  when  up  jumps  Brother  Smith,  and 
says : 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  7 J 

''Doctor,  (loirt  say  any  more  about  it; 
here  is  twenty  dollars  more,"  and  Dr. 
McEerrin  says:  ''  That's  right,  Brother 
Smith;  that's  right" 

Neither  the  Bishop  nor  Dr.  McFerrin 
knew  there  was  any  snch  brother  in  the 
house — ^but  they  both  spoke  as  if  they 
knew  of  him. 


XV. 
GATHEEING  UP  THE  SCKAPS. 


On  another  occasion  at  a  district  con- 
ference in  Kentucky  whicii  I  attended,  Dr. 
McFerrin  was  there,  when  he  again 
gathered  np  the  scraps,  as  usual,  after  the 
Bishop's  speech.  A  presiding  elder  of  one 
of  the  mountain  districts  in  representing 
his  district  and  his  preachers,  said: 

"  Brethren,  I  have  six  or  seven  preachers 
in  my  district  who  need  some  money. 
They  have  been  laboring  faithfully  and 
successfully  now  for  six  months  without 
a  dollar,  and  they  say  if  you  wdll  send 
them  ten  dollars  apiece  they  will  remain 
and  finish  the  other  six  months'  work. 
(77) 


78  EXPERIENCES  OF 

They  have  had  fine  revivals  on  all  their 
missions,  and  have  had  five  hundred  con- 
versions, and  now  all  thev  ask  is  ten  dollars 
apiece." 

This  was  a  fine  chance  for  Dr.  McFenin. 
This  conference  was  in  that  fine,  rich  bine- 
grass  section  of  Kentucky,  near  Lexington, 
and  Dr.  McFerrin  says: 

''We  are  creditably  informed  by  Brother 
Jones,  the  presiding  elder  of  such  a  dis- 
trict, that  he  has  six  or  seven  preachers  in 
his  district  who  need  some  money;  that 
they  are  good  men,  and  have  labored  faith- 
fully and  successfully,  ha^dng  had  five 
hundred  convei'sions  in  six  months. 
'*  Xow",  says  he,  straightening  himself  up, 
"  I  want  to  make  a  proposition  to  you  fine 
'  blue-grass '  preachers:  which  will  you 
do,  give  me  ten  dollare,  each  one  of  you, 
to  send  to  those  mountain  preachers,  or  go 
up  there  and  labor  six  months  for  nothing, 
as  they  have  done?" 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  79 

'No  sooner  said  than  done.  Brother 
Jones  arose  from  his  seat,  and  with  a  ten- 
dollar  bill  in  his  hand,  walked  up  and  said, 
"  Doctor,  here  is  ten  dollars."  Then 
another  and  another  and  another  responded 
in  quick  succession  until  he  had  raised  in 
a  few  minutes  two  or  three  hundred  dollars. 
Amongst  those  who  gave  ten  dollars  was 
one  Brother  Pointer,  whose  brother  was  a 
lav  member.  When  Brother  Pointer  re- 
sponded with  the  rest  of  the  laymen,  Dr. 
lIcFerrin,  remembering  that  his  brother 
had  given  ten  dollars,  said,  "  That's  right, 
brother,  I  like  that  kind  of  Pointers." 

Dr.  McFerrin  was  one  of  our  great 
preachers.  He  was  a  giant  in  liis  day.  I 
knew  him  well,  having  met  him  several 
times  in  Kentucky  and  Xorth  Carolina, 
and  called  to  spend  a  night  mth  him  at 
his  home — my  wife  and  little  son  were 
with  me — in  ISTashville.  That  day  as  he 
came  up  to  the  gate  I  said,  "  Good  even- 


80  EXPERIENCES  OF 

ing,  Doctor";  but  he  did  not  recognize  me 
at  first,  and  said,  as  he  took  hold  of  my 
hand  very  cordially  and  shook  it,  "  Well, 
who  are  you?''  I  told  him,  and  he  still 
again  shook  my  hand  very  cordially,  and 
said,  '^  Oh,  yes;  I  know  you.  I  am  glad 
to  see  you,  brother.  You  are  from  way 
down  yonder  in  ^orth  Carolina — Bun- 
combe county — ^where  they  feed  their 
ponies  on  'simmons  and  shucks.  Come  in, 
brother;  come  in.  I  am  glad  to  see  youJ^ 
And  he  and  his  good  wife  treated  us  royally 
that  night. 

Dr.  McFerrin  was  one  of  the  nine 
delegates  from  the  Southern  States  in  the 
General  Conference  of  1844,  when  they 
seceded  and  organized  the  Southern 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Louisville, 
Kentuckv. 


XVI. 
ONE  POOR  SOUL  MADE  HAPPY. 


One  day  while  traA-eling  horseback  with 
my  big  saddle  pockets  (holding  nearly  a 
bushel)  filled  with  Bibles  (I  was  on  my 
mission  colportage  work  for  the  American 
Bible  Society  of  Lexington,  Kentucky);  I 
met  a  woman  and  spoke  to  her  and  she 
responded  politely.  We  stopped  under  the 
shade  of  a  tree.  I  wanted  to  rest  my  horse, 
for  he  had  a  ternble  load  on  him.  The 
big  pockets  full  of  Bibles  was  quite  a 
heayy  burden,  and  then  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  of  human  flesh,  blood  and 
bones  on  top  of  that.  I  asked  this  woman 
if  she  had  a  Bible.  She  said,  ^^  No.''  Then 
6  (8i) 


82  EXPERIENCES  OF 

I  offered  to  sell  lier  one  for  twenty-five 
cents,  and  slie  replied,  "  Sir,  I  have  no 
money,  but  I  want  a  Bible.''  Then  she 
began  to  tell  me  of  her  troubles  and  sad- 
ness. She  was  neat  and  cleanly  in  her 
ordinary  dress,  and  somewhat  intelligent. 
She  said  she  had  lost  her  husband  and 
children,  and  had  to  work  hard,  and  seemed 
to  be  quite  sad.  Says  I:  "  Do  you  go  to 
Church?" 

"  E"©,"  she  said ;  '^  I  live  six  or  seven 
miles  from  any  Church,  and  cannot  dress 
fine  enough." 

Said  I :  "It  is  good  to  read  the  Bible  and 
go  to  Church;  but  if  you  cannot  get  there, 
remember  that  the  Great  Apostle  to  the 
Gentiles  said,  "  The  kingdom  of  God  is 
within  you,"  and  if  you  have  a  conscious- 
ness to  know  within  your  own  breast  that 
God  is  your  Father  and  Christ  Jesus  is  your 
Sa^dor,  and  that  your  sins  are  forgiven, 
then  you  have  peace  with  God  through 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  83 

Christ  Jesus,  and  a  heaven  within.  And 
as  I  told  her  how  good  God  is  and  how 
merciful  He  is,  and  how  Jesus  was  rich, 
owning  the  ISTew  Jerusalem,  with  all  its 
glorious  surroundings — he  was  ricli,  yet 
for  our  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  we, 
through  His  poverty,  might  be  rich;  that 
He  was  so  poor  that  He  said  on  one 
occasion,  '^  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the 
birds  of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son  of 
Man  hath  not  w^here  to  lay  His  head." 

'^  N'oAV,  madam,"  says  I,  "all  of  this  is  for 
you ;  and  I  give  you  this  Bible  in  the  name 
of  the  American  Bible  Society,  praying  it 
may  be  a  blessing  to  you  in  leading  you 
safely  through  this  vale  of  sorrow  and 
tears  to  a  home  in  heaven,  where  you  mil 
be  happy  forever,  as  long  as  the  cycle  of 
eternal  ages  shall  continue  to  roll." 

As  I  talked  with  her  her  face  flushed, 
her  eyes  began  to  fill,  the  silent  tear  was 
seen  to  start  down  her  cheek,  her  whole 


8Jf  EXPERIENCES  OF 

countenance  beamed  with  gladness  and 
joy,  and  she  was  a  happy  woman,  and  said: 

"  Sir,  I  am  so  happy  and  glad  I  have  met 
with  yon,  and  I  thank  yon  so  much  for 
your  talk,  for  I  have  not  heard  such  a  talk 
for  many  long  years,  and  I  shall  always 
remember  you  with  joy  and  gladness." 

Thus  my  poor  soul  w^as  made  happy  to 
think  that  God  in  His  providence  had  made 
or  chosen  me  as  an  humble  instrument  in 
His  hands  to  afford  happiness,  peace,  light 
and  comfort  to  the  dear  one  whose  life 
had  been  in  darkness  so  long.  Glory  to 
God  for  His  goodness  unto  me,  and  for 
^^  HJis  wonderful  works  unto  the  children 
of  men." 

So  I  bade  her  good-bye,  and  she  went  on 
her  way  rejoicing,  and  I  went  on  my  way 
with  a  better  heart  and  full  of  gladness. 
To  God  be  all  the  praise ! 


XYII. 

^^GOOD  ISAAC." 


I  came  across  a  higlily  cultured  family, 
very   ricli,    in    the    famous    '"'blue-grass'' 
region     around    the    city    of     Lexington, 
Kentucky,  and  had  occasion  to  stop  over 
night  (and,   in  fact,   several  times  at  his 
earnest  solicitation)  ^^dth  one  member  of 
this  elegant  family,  named  Isaac  Kincade, 
who  was  a  bachelor;  but  he  was  one  of  the 
most  refined  and  lovable    men  with  whom 
it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  meet. 
He  was  educated,  refined  and  exceedingly 
polite,  and  all  he  needed  to  make  him  per- 
fectly happy  was  a  sweet  little  wife. 

In  conversing  on  this  subject,  he  woidd 
(85) 


86  EXPERIENCES  OF 

say,  '^  Brother  Pigott,  when  I  get  married 
I  want  a  sweet,  nice  little  woman  so  deli- 
cate that  I  can  just  put  my  hands  around 
her  waist  and  lift  her  right  on  my  horse 
into  the  saddle." 

He  had  a  beautiful,  splendid  '^  blue- 
grass  "  farm,  with  a  splendid  mansion  on 
it,  in  a  lovely  grove  of  trees.  This  good 
man,  or  "  Good  Isaac,"  as  he  was  familiarly 
called  (the  reason  they  called  him  by  this 
appellation  was  that  he  was  so  gentle, 
sweet,  mild  and  loving — I  think  he  was  a 
good  man),  was  a  deacon  in  a  very  large 
and  w^ealthy  Baptist  Church,  whose  pastor 
(an  old  man  called  '^  Father  Dillard  ")  had 
served  the  congregation  in  that  Church  for 
forty  years. 

On  one  occasion  my  wife  and  I  were 
spending  a  few  days  in  the  vicinity  of  this 
Church  with  a  friend  in  order  to  recuperate. 
It  was  four  or  five  miles  from  '^  Father 
Dillard's"   Church,  and  this  brother  with 


.1  HOME  MISSIONARY.  87 

whom  we  were  stopping  proposed  for  us 
all  to  go  to  his  Church  on  Sunday.  So  we 
went;  and  very  shortly  Brother  Kincade, 
or  "  Good  Isaac,"  spied  me,  and  he  c^me 
hastily,  shook  hands  in  a  very  cordial  and 
brotherly  way,  and  says: 

"  Brother  Pigott,  I  am  so  very  glad  to 
see  you  here,  and  you  must  preach  for  us 
to-day." 

Says  I :  ^'  I^o,  Brother  Kincade ;  I  came 
to  hear  '  Father  Dillard,'  for  I  have  no 
appointment  to  preach  here." 

"Yes,"  he  says,  'S^ou  must;  and  I  will 
see  Father  Dillard."  So  off  he  went,  and 
soon  here  he  came  with  Father  Dillard  and 
introduced  him  to  me. 

"  Brother  Pigott,"  he  says,  "  I  am  glad 
you  are  here.  You  must  preach  for  us 
to-day." 

Says  I:  '' Xo,  Father  Dillard,  you  will 
have  to  excuse  me ;  I  came  here  to  hear  you 


88  EXPERIENCES  OF 

preach,  and  you  will  most  assuredly  have 
to  let  me  off." 

''  'No/^  says  lie,  "'  you  must  preach  for 
us;  we  cannot  let  you  off." 

''  Yes  you  can/'  says  I;  ^^  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  preach." 

'^  We  mil  not  take  ^  Xo'  for  an  answer; 
we  want  to  hear  you  preach." 

"  ^o,"  says  I,  ''  you  will  please  let  me 
off." 

^^1^0,  no;  we  cannot  let  you  off.  All 
the  congregation  will  be  glad  to  hear  you." 

^'  Yes,  but,  Brother,  I  am  not  prepared, 
for  such  a  thing  was  farthest  from  my 
thoughts  when  I  came  to  hear  you  preach." 

"  Yes,  you  7nust  preach.  "We  cannot 
excuse  you,  and  we  v^'iW  all  put  up  with 
what  you  give  us.'' 

And  finding  there  was  no  getting  off,  I 
says,  "  Well,  you  will  get  a  poor  preacher." 

^'  Well,"  says  he,  ^'  we  will  accept  it  all 
right." 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  80 

''  Then/'  says  I,  ''  you  must  give  me 
about  fifteen  minutes  in  wliicli  to  retire  to 
the  woods,  where  I  can  pray  and  try  to 
collect  my  thoughts." 

"Yes/'  says  he,  "We  will  give  you 
fifteen  minutes." 

So  off  I  went  out  in  the  woods  to  myself. 
When  I  came  back  he  took  me  in  the 
Church  and  in  the  pulpit  mth  him;  where- 
upon the  large,  splendid,  intelligent,  cul- 
tured congregation  assembled;  and  I 
preached  with  satisfaction  to  myself;  for 
I  had  to  forget  self  and  depend  upon  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  He  helped  me.  When 
I  got  through  and  sat  down  Father  Dillard 
got  up,  took  me  by  the  lapel  of  my  coat, 
and  says: 

''  Come,  now.  Brother  Pigott,  go  down 
and  eat  with  us." 

It  was  their  communion,  so  I  went  down 
out  of  the  pulpit  and  ate  with  them.  It 
was  the  first,  last,  and  only  time  in  all  my 


00  EXPERIENCE'S  OF 

Christian  career  (of  fifty  years)  that  I  ever 
ate  with  our  Baptist  brothers;  and  the  day 
was  one  of  great  rejoicing  to  my  soul;  for 
such  brotherly  love,  Christian  fellowship 
and  affection  Avas,  and  still  is,  exceedingly 
scarce. 


XVIII. 
CEOWNING  THE  QUEEN. 


In  all  our  travels  over  many  States  and 
in  many  cities,  toAvns  and  villages,  and  in 
many  country  places,  for  many  years 
(thirty  or  more)  I  settled  amongst  the  very 
best  people,  as  a  community,  in  Nevada 
county,  Arkansas,  that  I  ever  saw;  yet 
they  were  not  up-to-date  in  many  things, 
for  in  the  neighborhood  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  nice,  bright  children,  and  no  Sun- 
day school.  After  I  organized  a  school 
some  one  said  it  would  go  up  in  the  winter ; 
but,  no,  we  kept  it  up  all  through  the 
winter  and  spring.  Then  we  had  a  Sunday- 
school  picnic.  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it. 
(91) 


92  EXPERIENCES  OF 

The  scliool  decided  to  crown  one  jonng 
lady — Miss  Xaomi  Young,  a  tall,  graceful 
and  handsome  joung  lady — as  queen.  I 
built  a  rostrum  about  fourteen  feet  square, 
covered  it  with  a  new  carpet  which  I  car- 
ried there  with  me,  then  built  on  this  ros- 
trum a  throne  for  the  queen  about  five  or 
six  feet  square.  On  this  I  built  a  tall  chair, 
cushioned  and  covered  sill  over  with  red 
goods.  The  top  of  the  chair  had  one  large 
point  on  it  twelve  inches  long,  and  two 
others  of  smaller  size.  These  were  covered 
with  gold  paper.  Then  we  built  an  arch 
over  the  chair,  covered  with  evergreen 
foliage.  This  throne  and  chair  was  for  the 
queen  to  occupv  after  her  coronation.  On 
the  rostrum  I  had  six  or  seven  young  men 
sitting  around  the  throne,  dressed  up  with 
three-cornered  hats,  representing  foreign 
ministers,  with  also  her  four  or  five  maids 
of  honor.  The  chief  justice  of  the  king- 
dom, who  was  to  crown  the  queen,  sat  also 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  93 

on  the  rostrum.  Then  I  put  the  school  in 
ranks  of  twenty  or  more  floras — little  ones 
four  to  eight  years  of  age,  each  having  a 
bouquet.  Then  came  the  larger  ones,  ac- 
cording to  size  and  age;  there  were  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  or  more.  Finally, 
came  the  maids  of  honor,  all  dressed  in 
white,  and  they  looked  charmingly  beauti- 
ful. Mrs.  Pigott  had  made  for  the  queen 
a  long  dress  of  white  goods;  it  had  a  train 
six  or  seven  feet  long,  and  we  put  two 
maids  of  honor  to  hold  up  and  carry  her 
train  for  her.  I  marched  them  up  in  the 
order  named,  the  floras  first,  and  as  they 
approached  the  thr-one  they  opened  ranks, 
when  the  maids  of  honor,  then  the  queen, 
took  seats  on  the  rostrum. 

Everything  was  quiet  w^hen  the  queen 
came  and  knelt  on  a  stool  prepared  for  her, 
and  the  '^^Chief  Justice"  approached  her 
with  the  crown,  and  placing  it  upon  her 
head,  said,   "  Honored  Princess,  as  Chief 


H  EXPERIENCES  OF 

Justice,  having  proper  authority  from  the 
Kingdom,  I  now  crown  von  Queen  of  this 
Eealm,  and  I  trust  that  your  reign  may  be 
characterized  by  that  true  greatness  that 
shoukl  ever  adorn  one  in  your  high  and 
noble  position.'- 

''  Eespected  Sir,  I  shall  endeavor  by  all 
vigilance,  fidelity,  and  sincerity  to  reign 
and  live  as  one  who  is  to  give  an  account  of 
all  the  deeds  done  in  this  life  to  the  King 
of  kings  and  the  Everlasting  Sovereign  of 
the  universe." 

Then,  after  having  been  crowned  the 
chief  justice  held  out  to  the  queen  her 
sceptre,  painted  white,  vnth.  a  sharp  point 
covered  with  gold  paper  and  a  bow  of 
ribbon  around  its  head.  Then  he  said  (the 
queen  having  been  seated  in  her  chair, 
which  sat  upon  the  throne  under  the  arch 
of  evergreen,  looked  real  queenly,  and 
the    Rev.   Phil.   Archer  arriving    at    this 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  95 

jiinicture,  said  he  felt  that  he  was  in  royal 
presence) : 

'^  Respected  and  Honored  Queen,  before 
investing  yon  with  royal  authority,  I,  as 
Chief  Justice  of  this  Kingdom,  come  to 
elicit  from  you  in  the  presence  of  these, 
your  willing  subjects,  and  in  the  sight  of 
the  King  of  kings  and  the  Judge  of  all 
men,  an  oath  for  the  faithful  performance 
of  the  onerous  duties  devolving  upon  your 
sovereignty." 

"  Sir,  I  solemnly  affirm  in  the  presence 
of  these  witnesses,  and  call  upon  High 
Heaven  to  witness,  that,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability,  as  an  honorable,  discreet  lady,  and 
one  w^ho  loves  her  race,  and  especially  her 
subjects,  my  reign  shall  be  in  accordance 
with  law,  and  with  an  eye  single  to  the 
best  interests  of  all  our  dominions." 

Here  the  chief  justice  advanced  with 
the  sceptre  in  his  hand,  and,  addressing  her, 
said : 


96  EXPERIENCES  OF 

"  niustrioiis  Queen,  I  now  present  Your 
Majesty  with  this  sceptre,  which  is  another 
insignia  of  your  high  office  and  of  your 
superior  position  amongst  your  fellowmen, 
hoping  that  your  reign  may  be  peaceful 
and  harmonious,  and  that  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  law,  as  you  wield  it  o'er  the  peo- 
ple at  your  will,  you  may  always  remember 
that,  though  you  are  our  chief  executive 
officer,  whose  will  is  our  pleasure,  and  at 
whose  mandate  we  submissively  bow,  all 
your  acts  and  deliberations  are  recorded  in 
the  highest  court  known  to  angels  or  men, 
to  whidh  you,  as  well  as  your  subjects,  must 
give  an  account  in  that  day  coming,  when 
the  secrets  of  all  hearts  will  be  made 
known." 

''  Eespected  and  Honorable  Sir,  I 
solemnly  tinist  that  I  properly  appreciate 
my  high  position  and  fully  estimate  the 
importance  of   the    c^use    of    Truth    and 


A  HOME  MISSIONARY.  97 

Eight;  hence,  I  shall  endeavor  to  govern 
with  wisdom,  justice  and  clemency." 

]^ow  she  turns  to  her  subjects  and  ad- 
dresses them  as  follows: 

"And  to  you,  my  respected  subjects, 
I  would  say,  I  desire  not  to  abrogate  law, 
usurp  authority,  or  to  grasp  this  sceptre 
and  rule  as  with  a  rod  of  iron,  or  a  despot's 
unliol}^  ambition;  but  otherwise  would 
fondly  indulge  the  hope  that  you  will  find 
in  everif  emergency  a  fast  friend  in  the 
Crown,  and  that  the  Crown  may  ever  be 
rightly  esteemed,  and  nobly  and  with 
fidelity  sustained  by  you,  and  so  we  may 
always  have  peace,  unity  and  prosperity 
throughout  the  entire  kingdom.  Adieu! 
Adieu!!" 

Then  as  the  queen  sat  in  the  chair  on 
the  throne  she  most  assuredly  looked 
(queenly,  and  the  scene  looked  royal  and 
grand.  (The  assembly  was  carried  away 
with  enthusiasm.)  Then  the  twenty  little 
7 


98  EXPERIENCES  OF 

floras  cast  their  bouquets  at  the  queen's 
feet  as  they,  two  by  two,  moved  up  the 
steps. 

This  will  forever  linger  on  my  memory 
as  the  grandest  epoch  in  my  liistory — it 
was  an  oasis  in  the  desert — and  it  gives  me 
solace  now  in  my  old  age,  when  I  consider 
it  was  the  crowning  and  most  satisfactory 
performance  I  ever  conceived  and  executed 
in  all  my  life.  Yes;  it  is  a  green  spot  that 
the  corroding  touch  of  Time  even  will 
never  deface. 


XIX. 
BEGIXXIXG  WOEK  IX  XORFOLK. 


I  came  to  Xorfolk,  Yirginia,  in  1887; 
had  very  little  money,  but  liad  the  mission 
spirit.  I  knew  no  one  and  had  no  work. 
In  order  to  make  a  dime  I  took  a  new  lamp 
tube  (the  "Argand "  burner),  bought  a 
lamp,  and  canvassed  the  city.  I  became 
so  much  in  need  of  money  that  I  did  not 
have  enough  to  buy  a  bucket  of  coal  to 
make  a  fire ;  but  about  this  time  I  met  with 
B.  T.  Bockover,  a  good  man  and  one  of  the 
salt  of  the  earth,  and  after  I  showed  him 
my  testimonials  of  character  it  satisfied  him 
who  I  was,  and  he  said  to  me: 

^^  You  are  the  man  I  am  looking  for. 

(99) 


100  EXPERIEyCE^   OF 

There  is  a  suburb  liere  (Huntersville) 
where  a  man  is  needed  to  do  mission  work, 
and  I  have  been  trying  three  years  to  get 
a  young  man  to  go  out  there  and  work  up 
that  place  in  mission  work,  and  have  failed 
to  find  him.  If  you  will  go  and  do  the 
w^ork  I  will  pay  you  five  dollars  per 
month,"  which  he  did  for  ten  months. 

Another  man  made  the  same  offer,  but 
soon  failed  in  business,  and  only  paid  me 
for  two  months;  and  upon  the  strength  of 
these  two  promises  I  undertook  the  mission 
work.  I  walked  out  to  Huntersville  three 
times  in  the  rain  and  mud  before  I  even 
found  any  one  to  sympathize  with  the 
movement.  The  third  time  I  came  across 
two  ladies — Mrs.  Captain  E.  J.  Savage  and 
Mrs.  George  Tumbleson — who  simply  said : 

"  I  wish  you  would  come  out  and  start  a 
mission  work  and  Sundaj^  school  here." 

These  ladies  wer^e  members  of  the  old 
mother    (Cumberland  -  Street    Methodist) 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  101 

Chiirch  in  ]^orfolk,  and  I  think  still  liold 
their  membership  there,  when  they  should 
have  left  it  and  given  their  names  and  in- 
fluence to  the  new  work  in  Huntersville, 
Avhich  was  established  through  tears  and 
sorrow  and  hardships  and  many  difficulties 
at  their  own  doors. 

I  had  to  trudge  and  wade  through  mud 
and  rain  and  ice  to  Huntersville  three  or 
four  days  out  of  the  week,  having  no 
money  to  pay  car  fare ;  and  on  one  occasion, 
I  remember,  I  did  not  have  enough  money 
to  get  a  bucket  of  coal,  and  my  wife  and  I 
had  to  go  to  a  friend's  house  and  sit  until 
bed-time  to  get  Avarm.  Then  it  was  that  I 
first  found  a  friend  in  the  person  of  B.  T. 
Bockover,  who  has  ever  since  been  true 
to  us  and  cheered  and  comforted  us  many 
times  during  a  period  of  thirteen  years. 
I  was  working  at  the  Huntersville  mission 
work  then  on  about  eight  or  ten  dollars  a 
month ;  so  I  reported  this  to  Brother  Bock- 


102  EXPERIENCES   OF 

over;  told  him  my  rent  was  due,  my  coal 
was  out,  and  that  I  had  no  provisions  and 
no  money,  and  he  reported  it  to  the  official 
board  of  Granby-Street  Church,  to  which  I 
belonged,  and  some  of  the  official  board 
made  up  for  me  a  subscription  of  monthly 
payments  for  my  support,  which  were  as 
follows: 

B.  T.  Bockover $5  00  per  month. 

M.  L.  T.  Davis 3  00  " 

B.  D.  Thomas 2  50  " 

J.  B.  La  Keese 3  00  " 

Joseph  Norsworthy  ...  2  00  '' 

Jos.  Brickhouse 2  00  " 

Mr.  Brittingham 1  00  "         '' 

E.  G.  Griffith 1  00  " 

E.  E.  Whitehurst 1  00  ^^ 

Johnson  &  Kilby....  1  00  " 

B.  A.  Johnson 1  00  " 

John  L.  Koper 1  00 

Mrs.  Biggs 50 

B.  G.  Pollard. 100  " 

Garland  Bruce 2  00  '' 


(C  ii 

a  a 


XX. 

BUILDING    A    CHURCH    IN 
HUNTERSVILLE. 


I  took  my  liatchet  and  nails  on  one  cold, 
rainy  day,  went  to  Hiintersville,  and  hired 
a  negro  carpenter,  and  lie  and  I  made  nine- 
teen benches  without  planing.  On  the 
following  Sabbath  (about  the  8th  or  10th 
of  Febmaiy)  I  organized  a  Sunday  school 
with  twenty-two  pupils  and  two  or  three 
teachers.  On  the  following  Sabbath  I  had 
thirty-five  pupils  and  a  fine  corps  of  eight 
or  ten  teachers  from  the  Granby-Street 
(now  Epworth)  Church.  I  soon  found  that 
we  needed  an  organ,  and  having  fine  musi- 
cal talent  from  the  church  amongst  the 
(103) 


m  EXPERIENCES   OF 

teacliers,  I  purchased  one  on  time,  whicli 
gave  ns  fine  music.  The  children  learned 
rapidly,  and  the  school  gradually  increased, 
and  in  about  three  months  we  had  one  hun- 
dred in  attendance.  The  house  being  small 
and  a  mere  shell,  it  was  veiy  uncomfortable 
in  hot  weather,  and  we  took  the  school, 
with  benches  and  organ  and  all,  out  doors 
in  the  shade  of  an  old  big  tree.  Then  I 
reported  my  school  and  its  progress  to  the 
Church,  and  asked  them  to  buy  me  a  lot 
and  erect  on  it  a  larger  house,  which  they 
did,  and  in  ten  months  we  had  a  nice  little 
brick  Church  on  it,  all  equipped  for  work. 
That  was  in  1888.  For  several  years, 
and  up  to  now,  they  have  had  a  regular 
minister,  and  the  work  is  self-sustaining; 
but  for  six  or  seven  yeai's  the  work  was 
kept  up  by  donations  from  the  Granby- 
S'treet  congregation.  At  the  end  of  the 
year  I  resigned  my  charge  and  told  the 
official  board,  to  whom  I  made  my  report, 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  lOo 

that  the  house  was  built  and  the  mission 
work  full  under  way;  and  I  prayed  them 
to  take  charge  of  the  ship,  for  she  was 
ready  to  sail,  and  to  guide  her  safely  over 
the  stormy  ocean  of  Time  and  cast  her 
anchor  finally  in  the  haven  of  eternal 
repose  hard  by  the  everlasting  throne  of 
God! 

This  was  in  1888.  Then  it  was  that  I 
peddled  with  the  lanq>burner  in  order  to 
keep  hunger  from  the  door.  These,  my 
friends,  were  trying,  sharp  times;  but  praise 
and  thanks  to  the  blessed  Father  above. 
He  brought  me  out  all  right,  as  He  had 
done  many  times  before  in  similar  in- 
stances. 

On  my  third  visit  I  hired  a  small  shell  of 
a  house  at  $1.50  per  month,  at  my  own 
expense,  and  made  an  appointment  to  lec- 
ture in  it  on  the  following  Sunday  on  the 
Sunday-school  cause.  On  the  day  ap- 
pointed a  small  crowd  met  me,  and  having 


JOG  EXPERIENCES   OF 

no  seats,  they  had  to  stand  and  lean  against 
the  sides  of  the  honse  while  I  lectured  and 
preached.  I  promised  them  we  would  have 
])lenty  of  seats  for  the  next  meeting;  so  at 
the  suggestion  of  Brother  Brockover,  aiTd 
with  a  note  from  him  to  Mr.  J.  Griffith 
and  one  to  Mr.  McCullough,  the  former 
gave  me  ten  pounds  of  nails,  and  Mr. 
McCullough  gave  me  two  hundred  feet 
of  lumber,  and  an  expressman  hauled  it 
out  for  me  gratis. 

This  was  in  1888,  and  at  the  last  meeting 
that  conference  year  of  the  official  board 
of  the  Church,  they  endorsed  or  passed  a 
resolution  very  complimentary  to  me  with 
reference  to  my  work,  which  reads  as 
follows: 

"'Be solved y  That  this  quarterly  Confer- 
ence recognizes  and  highly  appreciates  the 
valuable  services  of  Rev.  L.  "W.  Pigott  in 
behalf  of  the  Sunday  school  and  Church 
inaugurated  by  him  in  Hunters^dlle,  under 


A    HOME   MliSSIONARY.  107 

tlie   auspices   of  G  ranby-Street  Methodist 
Episcopal     Church,    South,    in     :N'orfolk, 

Virginia. 

Wm.  H.  Gkanbery,  Sec'y. 

Norfoll;  TV/.,  Oct  29,  1888. 

Here  is  another  paper  written  and  signed 
by  many  of  the  citizens  of  Huntersville, 
Virginia : 

To  Rev.  W.  V.  Tudor.  D.  D.,  Rev.  Bro. 
Read,  Presiding  Elder,  and  the  Official 
Board  of  Granhy-St.  Church,  in  Nor- 
folk, Va.,  to-wit: 

"We,  the  citizens  of  Huntersville,  earn- 
estly request  you  to  have  Kev.  L.  W. 
Pigott  appointed  to  our  mission  for  the 
next  conference  year;  for  he  came  to  us 
in  our  time  of  need,  and  his  valuable  ser- 
vices have  been   a  great  blessing  to   this 

community. 

Signed  by  Very  Many. 

Huntersville,  Va.,  Sept.  15,  1888. 

I  would  like  to  state  that  when  I  went 
out  to  Huntersville,  at  the  instance  of  that 


108  EXPERIENCES   OF 

i 
good  man  before  mentioned,  B.  T.  Bock- 
over,  there  was  not  a  prayer  meeting,  Sun- 
day school,  not  any  religious  meeting  of 
any  kind  of  any  denomination.  I  three  or 
four  weeks  went  to  Sheriff  Lestner,  an  old 
gentleman  and  a  German,  and  asked  him 
if  he  could  not  help  me  with  money,  for  he 
was  a  man  of  means,  to  carrv  on  the  Sun- 
day  school.  When  I  told  him  I  had  forty 
scholars  he  was  very  much  surprised,  and 
said,  ''  Do  you  undertake  to  tell  me,  sir 
(and  he  was  very  emphatic),  that  joii  have 
got  forty  scholars  in  a  Sunday  school  in 
Iluntersville?'' 

Said  I:  "Yes,  sir." 

Then  said  he :  ''  You  astonish  me,  and 
me  helps  you." 

I  wrote  a  subscription  paper  for  money 
to  build  my  church,  and  collected  $50 — 
$25  from  Mr.  E.  J.  Brickhouse  and  $25 
from  the  coal  and  ice  firm  of  Nottingham 
(Sz   Wrenn.     I    met    the     contractor     and 


A    HOME   MISSIONARY.  109 

builder  when  they  commenced  work  on  the 
Church,  and  had  them  to  kneel  with  me  on 
the  spot  and  I  offered  a  short  prayer  to 
God  that  He  would  bless  the  enterprise  and 
make  the  house  about  to  be  erected  to  His 
worship  a  blessing  through  all  time  to  the 
people  of  that  community.  The  mason 
who  was  to  do  the  work  let  me  dig  with  a 
spade  the  first  spadeful  of  dirt.  So  thus 
was  the  corner-stone  of  this  Huntersville 
Church  laid  in  faith. 


XXI. 

FENNER  S.   PIGOTT— THE   STORY 
OF  A  BEAUTIFUL  LIFE. 


My  son,  Fenner  S.  Pigott,  was  born  on 
the  3d  day  of  Marcli,  1858,  in  Beaufort, 
:N'orth  Carolina— ^'the  City  by  the  Sea"— 
the  native  home  of  his  father.  He  was 
blessed  with  a  devoted,  pious,  and  very 
conscientious  Christian  mothei,  w^ho  spared 
no  pains  in  instilling  into  his  mind  the 
blessed  doctrines  and  principles  of  our  holy 
religion.  Hence,  he  was  like  Timothy:  he 
had  known  the  Scriptures  from  his  child- 
hood; and  this  faithful,  consecrated  instruc- 
tion given  in  prayer,  amidst  tears  and  with 
faith  in  God,  was  so  indelibly  impressed 
(III) 


112  EXPERIENCES  OF 

upon  his  mind  and  heart  that  its  influence 
was  seen  cropping  ont  from  his  mild,  gentle 
nature  all  along  his  pathway,  especially 
after  he  c^me  to  be  of  age  and  had  traveled 
considerably  and  had  contended  with  the 
world,  which  will  be  discovered  (first)  by 
reading  the  many  little  scrips  of  writing 
by  his  own  hand,  found  in  his  trunk  after 
his  death ;  second,  it  was  seen  by  his  parents 
around  the  family  altar,  when  he  would 
open  his  honest  heart  to  them.  On  several 
occasions  he  said: 

"  Pa  and  Ma,  I  used  to  think,  when  I 
was  a  boy  and  you  connected  me  and  were 
so  very  strict  with  me  in  not  letting  me 
break  the  Sabbath  by  playing  and  keeping 
me  from  the  company  of  bad  boys,  I  used 
to  think  you  were  unreasonable  and  hard 
on  me;  but  now  I  know  you  did  it  for  my 
good,  and  I  thank  you  for  it." 

I  pray  God  to  make  his  life,  character 
and  death  a  blessing  to  the  young  who  may 


A    HOME   MISSIONARY.  113 

chance  to  read  this,  that  they  may  so 
emulate  his  example  as  to  live  as  he  lived, 
and  die  as  he  died,  and  be  safely  gathered 
in  heaven,  where  the  good  of  all  ages  live. 

His  pastor.  Dr.  [N'aylor,  of  Foundry 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  said  of  him  in  his  memorial 
address: 

^^  He  had  a  magnetism  about  him  that 
drew  people  to  him.'' 

The  chief  clerk  of  the  Ebbitt  House,  one 
of  the  finest  hotels  in  America,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  honored  clerks,  said  to  me 
in  conversation  that  he  was  a  "sweet-spirit- 
ed young  man,"  and  the  proprietor  of  the 
same  hotel  told  a  gentleman  that  he  was 
one  of  the  best  young  people  he  ever  had. 
He  was  such  a  favorite  at  the  house  that 
the  book-keeper  cut  out  his  obituary  from 
the  paper  and  pasted  it  in  the  back  of  his 
ledger  as  a  momento. 

Beverly  Simpson  said,   during  the  me- 
8 


114  EXPERIENCES  OF 

morial  services  in  the  Churcli,  that  he 
wanted  it  distinctly  understood  that  this 
young  man  belonged  to  Foundiy  Church; 
that  they  claimed  him,  and  that  Foundry 
Church  had  added  one  more  to  the  com- 
pany "over  there." 


XXII. 

THE  STORY  OF  A  BEAUTIFUL  LIFE 
(COXTIXUED.) 


After  Fenner  was  old  enough  to  know — 
yes,  even  before  lie  became  responsible — 
Avbile  he  was  jet  a  child,  and  from  that 
time  on,  he  was  always  obedient  and  re- 
spectful to  his  parents.  I  never  knew  him 
to  say  "  'No  ''  when  we  bade  him  do  any- 
thing. He  was  a  child  that  would  listen 
as  you  reasoned  with  him.  He  had  a  veiy 
tender  heart  and  a  very  forgiving  spirit. 
On  one  occasion  a  friend  wrote  to  him  and 
asked  him  to  forgive  her,  and  this  was  his 
reply  : 

"  Surely  I  will  forgive  you.     Yes,  it  is 
(115) 


116  EXPERIENCES   OF 

an  irresistible  word;  and  ever  since  my 
childhood  days  my  heart  has  learned  to  be 
forgiving/'  and  at  the  close  of  the  same 
letter  he  said: 

''And  when  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep  and 
ask  the  Lord  my  soul  to  keep,  oh  sure  I'll 
not  be  selfish  in  my  pra^^er,  bnt  ask  the 
Lord  my  little  friend  to  bless,  and  say 
good-bye,  good-bye,  good-bj^e." 

Then  we  find  a  sweet  little  sentiment  like 
this  in  the  same  connection: 

''Let  the  pleasures  and  duties  of  life  each 

pathway  attending 
Onward    and    upward  bear  thee  without 

ending.'' 

I  have  seen  in  my  travels  children  six 
to  ten  years  of  age  who  had  been  left  to 
themselves — who  had  had  no  pains  nor 
prayers  nor  tears  spent  on  them;  who  had 
grown,  or  were  growing,  up  like  briers  and 
weeds — often  spit  at  their  mothers  or  slap 


A    HOME    MISSIONARY.  117 

them  or  make  ugly  faces  at  them  and  tell 
them,  "  I  will  not  obey  you."  But  we  are 
IDroud  to  say  that  our  son  never  had  nor  ex- 
hibited any  of  these  bad  spirits  or  tempers. 
He  was  always  industrious,  and  when  he 
made  money  he  was  careful  to  keep  it  and 
not  waste  it  in  circus-going,  nor  in  any 
immoral  way  would  he  spend  it.  And  after 
he  grew  up  to  mature  years  and  was  em- 
ployed he  was  governed  by  this  principle — 
viz.,  he  felt  the  interest  of  his  employer  as 
his  interest,  and  was  noted  for  his  prompt- 
ness, politeness  and  quickness. 

On  one  occasion,  when  an  employer  gave 
him  a  letter  of  recommendation,  after 
speaking  of  his  noble  character,  he  closed 
his  letter  by  saying,  ''And  the  best  of  all  is, 
he  is  honest." 

Yes,  he  was  mild  as  well,  and  he  was  ex- 
ceedingly sympathetic,  for  he  truly  ^'  wept 
with  those  who  weep." 

From  early  childhood  to  mature  years 


118  EXPERIEXCL\^   OF 

he  traveled  OA'er  many  States,  and  wherever 
he  went  he  made  friends  by  his  polite  man- 
ners, moral  conduct  and  soft,  sweet  spirit. 
On  one  occasion,  when  he  answered  the 
letter  to  a  friend  who  said  to  him,  "  May 
you  always  prosper,"  he  answered  by  say- 
ing, "  Yes,  if  God  blesses  me  I  shall  always 
prosper." 

I  mention  these  little  things  to  show  the 
religious  bent  of  his  heart,  and  this  incident 
was  when  he  was  about  twenty-one  years 
of  age. 

Yes,  my  dear  friends,  Ave  were  proud  of 
our  dear  son  in  this  life,  but  infinitely 
prouder  of  him  in  his  death,  as  you  will 
see,  if  jou  peruse  these  memoirs  to  the 
end,  we  had  a  good  cause  for  it. 

At  the  age  of  eleven  yeai'^  he  professed 
religion  and  said  he  Avanted  to  unite  Avith 
the  Church,  and  his  mother,  to  test  him 
Avith  the  vieAV   of  finding  out  Avhether  it 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  119 

was  a  genuine  conversion  or  the  result  of 
excitement,  said  to  Mm : 

"  My  son,  Avhy  do  you  want  to  join  the 
Church? '' 

Whereupon  she  received  this  answer: 

^^  Why,  mother,  I  love  God  and  every- 
body and  God  loves  me,  and  I  want  to  be 
good  and  get  to  heaven." 

We  thought  this  was  a  very  good  ex- 
perience, so  we  let  him  join  the  Church. 
He  lived  a  consistent  Christian  for  many 
years,  and  after  a  while,  as  is  the  case  with 
all  who  go  from  home  influence,  he  grew 
cold,  then  neglected  his  outward  duties, 
but"  never  lost  faith  in  God  nor  the 
heavenly  impressions  he  had  imbibed  in 
childhood  from  his  pious  training;  for  in 
all  his  writings  we  find  there  was  breathed 
a  pious  spirit. 

I  can  truly  say  that  in  all  our  travels 
we  have  never  come  across  a  more  affec- 
tionate and  kind  spirit  than  he  possessed. 


120  EXPERIENCES   OF 

He  thought  there  was  no  mother  so  kind 
or  good  as  his,  and  for  his  father  he  had 
the  highest  respect  and  love. 

At  about  the  age  of  sixteen  or  seventeen 
he  went  to  college  and  passed  through  the 
sophomore  class.  After  leaving  school  he 
turned  his  attention  to  hotel  life;  and  to 
prove  a  statement  before  made,  that  when 
he  was  employed  he  always  felt  the  interest 
of  his  employer  was  his  interest,  I  will 
state  that  on  one  occasion,  in  the  city  of 
Asheville,  I^orth  Carolina,  while  he  vras 
employed  as  manager  of  the  Grand  Central 
Hotel,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  next  building 
and  was  making  rapid  strides  of  desti'^uc- 
tion.  He  was  awakened  from  his  sleep, 
jumped  from  his  bed,  put  on  his  clothes, 
and  having  the  key  of  the  safe,  with  un- 
usual presence  of  mind,  aided  the  ladies  in 
the  hotel  in  escaping;  then  took  all  the 
money  from  the  safe,  and  with  the  fore- 
thought of  a  Christian  hero,  before  he  went 


A    HOME   MISSIONARY.  121 

out,  being  then  influenced  by  the  great  im- 
pulses of  his  big  heart,  he,  with  great 
sprightliness,  was  soon  on  the  top  of  the 
building  working  more  faithfully  than  an 
hireling;  worked  there  until  the  fire  was 
subdued,  and  upon  descending  to  the  jyave- 
ment,  picked  up  a  door  to  hold  up,  that  the 
firemen  should  be  shielded  from  the  heat; 
and  at  this  point,  after  the  fire  was  sub- 
dued, he  fell  to  the  pavement  with  con- 
gestion of  the  lungs,  as  one  dead.  It  was 
with  great  medical  skill  and  aid  and  very 
extraordinary  nursing  of  friends  all  night 
that  he  was  revived,  for  the  physicians  all 
thought  he  could  not  live;  but  after  two 
weeks'  confinement  he  was  up  and  attend- 
ing to  business. 

"We  think  that  this  sad  occurrence  so 
affected  his  lungs  that  when  he  contracted 
a  deep  cold  in  the  autumn  of  1885,  it  so 
deeply  and  fatally  struck  his  \dtals,  his 
decline  was  irresistible. 


122  EXPEBIEXCES   OF 

It  was  the  proprietor  of  this  hotel  who 
said,  "  The  best  of  all,  he  is  honest,"  and 
the  proprietor  of  the  best  hotel  in  Ashe- 
^alle,  the  Swannanoah,  said  to  me  on  in- 
quiring, "  How  do  you  like  him  ?  "  "  He 
is  one  of  the  best  young  men  I  have  ever 
employed." 

Finally,  he  was  induced  by  friends  to  go 
to  Washington,  D.  C,  because  they 
thought  he  had  a  peculiar  talent  for  hotel 
life.  He  had  been  in  Washington  only 
about  three  weeks,  when  he  was  employed 
as  one  of  the  office  clerks  in  the  Ebbitt 
House,  where  he  so  conducted  himself  as 
to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  proprietor, 
the  other  clerks,  and  all  concerned.  While 
at  this  hotel  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Bible  class  "  Golden  Links,"  at  Foundry 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  same  Church  by  letter  from 
Greensboro,  Xorth  Carolina,  where  he  had 
received  a  renewed  witness  of  the  Spirit's 


.4.    HOME   MIi^;^WNARY.  12o 

gracious  influence  upon  his  heart;  and  he 
wrote  us  about  his  spiritual  blessing  in 
eestacies  of  joy.  In  liis  connection  with 
this  Church  and  Bible  class  he  won  many 
warm-hearted  fiiends,  who  highly  esti- 
mated his  moral  worth  and  cherish  fond 
memories  of  him,  and  are  sad  because  they 
A\dll  see  him  no  more  here;  but  rejoice  to 
know  that  he  is  safely  moored  in  heaven, 
and  I  feel  that  one  of  their  brightest 
^ ^Golden  Links"  is  broken  and  they  have 
one  more  tie  to  hold  them  fast  to  their 
eternal  blissful  moorings  in  the  "  better 
land,"  in  the  '^faraway  home  of  the  soul," 
and,  oh,  I  pray  that  each  member  of  this 
class  of  ^'Golden  Links  "  may  constitute  in 
heaven  an  unbroken  chain,  including  his 
kind,  noble,  saintly,  eloquent  pastor,  Rev. 
Dr.  Xaylor,  with  all  his  flock  and  his  many 
other  dear  friends  and  loved  ones,  with  all 
the  sanctified  elect  of  God's  dear  children. 


12/t  EXPERIENCES   OF 

wheve  sickness,  sorrow,  pain  and  death  are 
felt  no  more. 

After  Ins  decease  we  overlianled  liis 
papers  and  fonnd  amongst  many  of  his 
letters  to  different  friends,  and  other  scrips 
of  'his  writing,  many  prayers  and  other 
religions  eifnsions,  all  of  which  proved  he 
was  pntting  into  practice  the  holy  precepts 
of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  w^hich  were 
'^able  to  make  him  wise  unto  sah^ation.'^ 

From  early  childhood,  long  before  he 
professed  religion,  he  always  had  the 
highest  reverence  for  God's  house  and  wor- 
ship, and  behaved  himself  as  solemnly  and 
reverentially  there  as  an  old  man.  He  also 
had  the  highest  regard  for  ministers  and 
for  any  one  devotedly  pious. 

To  sum  up  some  of  the  virtues  of  this 
amiable  young  man  is  my  pui'pose,  praying 
they  may  prove  to  be  of  some  benefit  to 
those  who  mav  read  these  lines. 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  125 

First,  lie  was  obedient  to  his  parents  and 
loved  them. 

Second,  he  was  polite  to  all,  especially 
to  his  seniors. 

Third,  he  was  kind  and  sympathetic  to 
the  suffering;  then  he  was  industrious 
and  saving. 

Fourth,  he  had  the  interest  of  his  em- 
ployer at  heart. 

Fifth,  he  was  honest. 

Sixth,  he  was  prompt  and  quick,  and  by 
his  dignity  of  bearing  and  all  these  other 
noble  qualities  and  dispositions  he  would 
draw  to  him  not  only  his  employer,  but  all 
with  whom  he  might  be  associated  in  busi- 
ness; and  he  would  manage  to  gain  their 
confidence  and  respect. 

A  very  sensible  and  accomplished  lady 
of  the  Foundry  Church  congregation  told 
me  that  she  well  remembered  the  last  time 
he  met  Avith  their  reunion  of  the  Bible 
class;   that  he  was  the  life  of  the  company, 


/,?6'  EXPERTEXCES   OF 

and  they  would  miss  liiiii  so  miicli  in  that 
circle,  for  he  was  always  so  lively.  Yes, 
nothing  pleased  him  more  than  to  knoAV 
he  was  causing  others  to  feel  happy,  and  to 
produce  this  effect  upon  his  friends  and 
associates  he  was  successful  whenever  he 
made  the  effort. 

It  Avas  my  lot  to  travel  over  the  United 
States  to  a  considerable  extent,  taking  my 
Avife  and  son,  and  all  Ave  had,  AAdth  us. 
Hence,  Ave  Avere  throAvn  AA^th  many  kinds 
and  qualities  of  people.  I  can  tndy  say 
that  he  Avas  traveling  from  the  time  he  Avas 
six  Aveeks  old  till  he  died ;  and,  considering 
that  the  routine  of  family  training  and 
family  worship  could  only  be  imperfectly 
carried  out,  his  parents  feel  greatly  repaid 
for  all  their  labor  and  pains,  tears  and 
prayers  and  anxiety  of  heart,  in  his  mild, 
noble,  SAveet  life,  and  his  loA^ely  triumphant 
Christian  death;  for  he  died  like  a  philo- 
sopher and  like  a  Christian  hero,  and  like  a 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  127 

sinner  saved  by  grace.  If  I  should  live  a 
thousand  years  and  witness  t^n  million 
deaths,  I  would  never  see  one  more  sublime 
and  beautiful  and  grand  and  sweet  and 
peaceful  and  easy  than  was  the  death  of 
this  young  man. 


XXIII. 

THE  STOKY  OF  A  BEAUTIFUL  LIFE 
(COXCLUDED.) 


Early  one  morning  about  the  middle  of 
Xovember,  1885,  after  lie  had  had  a  cold 
for  several  days,  still  attending  to  his  duties 
at  the  Ebbitt  House,  though  unable,  be- 
cause he  desired  to  give  satisfaction,  he  felt 
a  severe  pain  in  his  right  limg.  Upon  con- 
sulting a  physician,  he  was  told  to  go  home, 
which  he  did;  and  as  he  came  in  the  'house 
the  dear  child  had  the  saddest  face  he  ever 
wore  before;  and  it  proved  to  be  the  har- 
binger of  the  saddest  and  most  heart-rend- 
ing period  in  our  history.  We  did  all  we 
could  for  him;  but  the  elements  seemed 
9  (129) 


]M  EXPERIENCED^   OF 

to  conspire  against  the  dear  boy,  for  the 
weather  was  damp  all  winter  and  spring. 

One  day  in  April  or  May,  when  we 
looked  out  upon  the  leaves  as  they  were 
just  unfolding  in  the  sunlight  of  God's 
genial  sun,  his  mother  said: 

"  My  son,  do  look  out  and  see  how  beau- 
tiful the  sun  shines,  and  how  lovely  the 
leaves  look." 

He  very  solemnly  remarked :  "  Yes, 
mother,  but  the  leaves  do  not  bloom,  nor 
the  sun  shine  for  me." 

By  this  time  the  kind,  noble  physicians 
said  they  had  done  all  they  could  do,  and 
advised  us  to  take  him  to  the  mountains, 
saying  that  if  anything  would  do  him  good 
the  mountain  air  and  water  would;  so  on 
the  3d  of  June,  1886,  his  mother  started 
with  him  for  the  mountains  in  his  native 
State,  N^orth  CaTolina.  When  aiming  for 
the  town  of  Hendersonville,  they  were  met 
by  our  old  doctor,  J.  G.  Waldrop,  a  very 


A    HOME   MISSIONARY.  131 

kind-hearted  physician,  who  tendered  them 
his  kind  offices  and  sympathy,  which  will 
never  be  forgotten.  Then,  going  in  the 
country  about  ten  miles,  just  at  the  foot  of 
a  mountain,  they  were  kindly  treated  by 
Caiy  Maxfield  and  his  wife,  with  whom 
they  boarded  two  months.  The  neighbors 
also  were  just  as  kind  as  they  could  be,  for 
which  they  all  have  a  warm  place  in  our 
heart's  best  affections.  After  remaining 
there  for  tvro  months  he  became  very  wan, 
thin,  emaciated  and  feeble,  so  that  he  could 
not  dress  himself  without  help.  We  then 
took  him  to  Ilendersonville,  a  beautiful 
little  mountain  town  of  about  eight  hun- 
dred inhabitants,  on  the  Spartanburg  and 
Asheville  railroad,  and  stopped  at  the 
Arlington  House.  It  seemed  to  be  God's 
will,  for  Mrs.  Allen,  the  wife  of  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  hotel,  being  a  friend  of  ours, 
had  her  great,  warm  heart  drawn  out  to  the 
utmost  tension  in  deep,  heart-felt  sympa- 


J32  EXPERIENCES   OF 

thj  for  lis  and  tenderness  to  Fenner.  She 
nursed  and  attended  to  him  so  much  like 
a  mother  that  he  called  her  his  "  second 
mother." 

Xever  will  we  forget  the  kindness  and 
self-sacrifice  and  affection  of  this  good 
woman,  nor  the  kindness  of  her  husband, 
Dr.  Allen,  and  others  who  came  in  and 
ministered  to  Fenner's  wants  and  comfort. 

Among  the  ladies  who  came  in  with 
words  of  comfort  and  ministered  to  his 
wants,  one  said  to  mj  \viie  when  she  was 
weeping: 

"  Mrs.  Pigott,  instead  of  weeping  vou 
should  rejoice  to  know  that  your  life  has 
not  been  a  failure ;  for  to  see  Fenner  die  is 
enough  to  repay  you  for  your  life-time 
sendee,  j^o;  your  life  has  not  been  in 
vain;  this  is  your  ripe  sheaf  which  has 
been  gathered  into  the  heavenly  garner, 
and  it  is  fit  meat  for  the  Master's  use." 

It  is  said  that  his  talks  and  exhortations. 


A   HOME   MI88I0NARY.  ISS 

together  with  his  composure  and  calmness 
about  dying,  had  an.  influence  on  some  who 
had  never  been  touched  before.  During 
his  stay  in  Hendersonville  there  was  a  Bap- 
tist meeting  going  on  near  by  and  the 
ministers  took  a  2Teat  interest  in  Fenner, 
praying  for  him  and  visiting  him  and  com- 
forting him,  all  of  which  he  highly  appre- 
ciated. He  realized  his  condition  while 
there,  but  he  was  perfectly  resigned.  He 
told  his  pastor,  Dr.  Xaylor,  that  if  he  lived 
it  was  all  right,  and  that  if  he  died  it  was 
all  right. 

He  remained  in  Hendersonville  exactly 
one  month.  It  seemed  a  strange  coinci- 
dence that  when  we  took  him  there  Dr. 
Allen  asked  us  how  long  we  wanted  to 
stay,  and  we  told  him  about  a  month.  We 
took  him  there  on  the  9th  of  September, 
and  on  the  9th  of  October  we  buried  him. 
The  services  were  conducted  in  the  Metho- 
dist Church  by  the  Eev.  Mr.  Boon,  a  Bap- 


m  EXPERlEyCEi^   OF 

tist  minister  and  president  of  Jndson 
College,  and  Eev.  ^Ir.  Teague,  the  pastor 
of  the  Church. 

When  his  spirit  had  gone  to  God  his 
father  and  the  mourners  went  about  the 
streets  comforting  themselves  with  the 
blessed  trnth :  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and 
the  life;  he  that  believe th  in  me,  though 
he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live,"  and  "  who- 
soever liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall 
never  die,"  and,  again,  as  declared  by 
David,  ^^the  child  cannot  come  back  to  us, 
but  we  can  go  to  him." 

(Fram  the  Critic,  ]yas]iington,  D.  C.) 
Eev.    Dr.    Baylor's   tribute   to   the   late 
Fenner  S.  Pigott: 

Rev.  Dr.  Xaylor  held  memorial  services 
last  night  at  the  '^  Foundry "  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  for  the  late  Fenner  S. 
Pigott,  who  had  been  a  resident  of  this  city 
for  some  time,  and  whose  death  occurred  at 


A    HOME   MISSIONARY.  135 

his  home  in  Xorth  Carolina,  on  the  8th  in- 
stant. The  deceased  was  a  clerk  at  the 
Ebbitt  House,  in  this  city,  and  his  genial, 
honorable  character  had  won  for  him  many 
friends. 

A  large  audience  filled  the  Sunday- 
school  hall  at  an  early  hour  and  listened 
with  rapt  attention  to  the  beautiful  tribute 
paid  by  Dr.  Xaylor  to  the  deceased.  The 
services  were  opened  Arith  song  and  prayer 
and  the  reading  of  the  90th  Psalm.  In  the 
remarks  made  by  Dr.  Xaylor,  he  said: 

God's  ways  are,  like  Himself,  past  find- 
ing out.  AVe  are  surrounded  by  mystery. 
Providence  is  only  another  name  for  mys- 
tery, the  unknowable.  We  are  called  this 
evening  to  consider  the  death  of  a  young- 
man  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  A  young 
man  taken,  who  was  in  the  bloom  of  young 
manhood,  bouyant  with  hope,  and  ardent 
wdth  expectation,  one,  than  whom,  none 
gave  promise  of  a  nobler  career  or  better 


136  EXPERIENCED   OF 

sei^ce  in  the  vineyard  of  our  Lord.     Fen- 
ner  S.  Pigott,  on  the  8th  day  of  last  month 
closed  his  short  but  suffering  life  in  Hen- 
dersonville,  N'orth  Carolina.     When  I  last 
saw  liim  he  was  in  the  Sixth-Street  Eail- 
road  Depot,  about  to  start  to  his  Southern 
home.     I  felt  then,  as  I  took  his  thin  and 
bloodless  hand  in  mine,  that  I  should  never 
see  him  more  in  this  life.     I  never  did. 
Why  was  he  taken,  when  so  many  men, 
who  are  little  better  than  a  curse  to  the 
community,  are  left  to  thrive  and  fatten 
ujDon  their  ^dces?    Why  tliis  young  man  of 
twenty-seven  years,   when  so  many  have 
outlived  their  usefulness  and  the  fullness 
of  the  promised  allotment  of  three  score 
and  ten  years?     Surely  these  could  better 
have  been  spared.     Soon  after  this  young 
man  came  to  our  city  he  presented  his  cer- 
tificate  of  Church   membership,   and  was 
welcomed   as  a  member  in   this   Church. 
But  it  was  destined  that  he  should  not  be 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  137 

permitted  to  enjoy  many  of  its  public 
means  of  grace.  He  was  shortly  taken  ill, 
hence,  not  very  many  of  you  remember  the 
young  stranger  who  cast  in  his  lot  with  us, 
less  than  three  vears  aa'o.  I  knew  him 
Avell,  and  can  say  to-night  that  he  possessed 
a  noble,  generous  character.  He  was 
strictly  conscientious.  I  do  not  believe  that 
he  would  have  sold  the  truth  at  any  price. 
What  a  quiet,  unostentatious  life  he  pos- 
sessed; quietly,  he  walked  the  path  of 
life,  seemingly  entirely  free  from  vanity, 
love  of  display  or  notice.  Simple  in  heart, 
honest  in  intent,  and  loyal  to  himself  and 
his  convictions,  he  commanded  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him. 

And  yet  this  young  man  was  endowed 
with  a  peculiar  magnetism — this  amiability, 
rectitude,  and  cheery  nature — this  very 
goodness  of  heart,  acted  like  a  loadstone, 
for  without  effort  of  his  own,  he  drew  per- 
sons into  a  remarkable  nearness  with  him- 


138  EXPERIEXCE."^   OF 

self.  Admiration,  confidence,  affection 
were  at  once  begotten,  and  Ms  beautiful 
character  was  absorbed  by  others. 

The  simplicity  and  purity  of  Fenner  &. 
Pigott's  nature  reminded  me  of  a  gentle, 
timid  young  girl  not  yet  contaminated  with 
tlie  vanity  and  sillyness  of  society's  rude 
touch;  for  he  was  gentle,  pleasant,  patient. 
Had  this  youth  lived  he  would  have  Avield- 
ed  an  immense  religious  influence.  I  am 
tnld  that  in  his  native  town,  a  growing  in- 
flnence  was  already  graciously  felt  by  his 
associates.  It  is  not  at  all  strange  to  me,  it 
could  not  have  been  otherw^ise.  Kor  is  it 
a  surprise  to  me,  when  I  am  told  that  the 
scenes  which  surrounded  this  young  Chris- 
tian's closing  days  and  hours  were  wonder- 
ful, that  they  were  mighty  evidences  of  the 
faithfulness  of  God  to  His  children  in 
clothing  them  at  sucli  a  time  for  their  home 
above. 

During  his  suffering  and  illness  in  the 


A   HOME   MI8SI0XARY.  130 

Garfield  Hospital  I  visited  him  as  often  as 
practicable,  and  noticed  with  gratitude  his 
spiritual  condition.  There  was  no  mur- 
muring, no  doubt,  no  fear.  He  was  ^'sim- 
ply trusting — nothing  more."  I  doubt 
whether  he  ever,  for  a  moment,  lost  confi- 
dence in  his  Heavenly  Father.  There  was 
to  me  a  peculiar  sadness  in  bidding  him 
adieu  at  the  railroad  depot  that  day.  And 
yet  there  came  flooding  around  and  over  all 
a  divine  glory  while  cheerily  and  brightly 
he  bade  me  farewell.  I  felt  then  that  he 
well  knew  it  was  the  last  word  I  would  ever 
hear  him  speak  in  this  life.  Blessed  be 
God — Ave  shall  talk  hereafter.  Mystery, 
yes  mystery.  But,  'Svhat  thou  knowest  not 
now,  thou  shalt  know  hereafter."  Amen. 
The  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school 
which  he  attended  (Mr.  Simpson)  and  other 
friends  who  knew  him  made  touching  and 
loving  remarks  about  him,  and  the  meeting- 
closed  with  the  benediction. 


l.'iO  EXPERIEXCES   OF 

[From  the  HendersonvlUe  (N.C.)  Times.] 

We  regret  to  announce  the  death  of  the 
above  well-known  voung  man,  son  of  Rev. 
L.  W.  Pigott,  formerly  of  this  place,  but 
now  of  Washington,  D.  C,  which  occurred 
on  Friday,  the  8th  instant,  at  the  Arlington 
House,  in  this  place.  His  death  was  not 
unexpected,  as  he  had  been  suffering  very 
much  for  several  months.  He  was  an 
honest,  upright  young  man,  full  of  promise 
and  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 
The  sympathies  of  the  entire  community 
go  out  to  the  bereaved  parents. 


Eenner  S.  Pigott,  son  of  L.  W.  and 
Pannie  Pigott,  was  born  in  Beaufort,  Xorth 
Carolina,  March  3,  1858,  and  died  in  Hen- 
derson ville,  Xorth  Carolina,  October  8, 
1886.  The  deceased  was  blessed  with 
heavenly  influences  and  surroundings  in 
early  childhood,  and  continued  to  enjoy  the 


.4    HOME   MISSIONARY.  Ul 

blessings  of  the  best  society  through  life. 
He  was  a  most  affectionate,  dutiful  son, 
was  extremely  polite  to  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  He  being  trained  from 
early  childhood  by  religious  parents,  and 
more  especially  by  his  saintly  mother,  was 
acquainted  with  the  ''  Holy  Scriptures,'' 
was  brought  to  embrace  the  doctrines  of 
the  blessed  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  at  the 
age  of  eleven  years,  and  after  a  number  of 
years,  having  backslidden  was  reclaimed  in 
Greensboro,  X.  C,  in  about  the  year  1883, 
after  which  he  removed  to  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  became  a  member  (by  letter)  of 
the  Foundry  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
In  September,  1883,  he  became  one  of  the 
office  clerks  in  the  Ebbitt  House  in  Wash- 
ington (one  of  the  finest  hotels  in  America), 
which  position  he  filled  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  satisfaction  to  his  employer,  and 
became  very  popular  with  the  high-toned 
and  polished  guests  of  this  famous  hotel. 


I.'i2  EXPJ-h'IJ-JXCE.S   OF 

In  November,  1884,  he  was  attacked 
with  23neiimonia  and  indigestion,  which 
complication  finallv  caused  his  life  blood 
to  fall  into  the  arms  of  the  grim  monster 
and  liberate  at  last  his  soul  to  go  back  to 
God. 

By  the  advice  of  his  noble  physicians  in 
Washington  his  mother  took  him  to  Hen- 
dersonville,  X.  C,  on  the  Bine  Ridge,  but 
disease  had  snch  grip  on  his  vitals,  grad- 
ually pulling  him  down  to  the  gTave,  that 
in  the  early  morning  of  the  8th  of  October 
he  called  me  to  him  and  said:  '^  Pa,  kiss 
me;  tell  all  my  friends  good-bye;  write  to 
the  (Ebbitt  House)  clerks  and  tell  them  to 
be  good,  and  meet  me  in  heaven,  for  God 
has  pardoned  all  my  sins,  and  I  am  dying 
happy." 

He  thus  exhorted  all  who  came  in  to  be 
good  and  meet  him  dn  the  better  land ;  and 
later  in  the  day  he  said  to  Mrs.  Hart  as  she 
was  about  to  leave  him,  ^'  The  next  time 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  US 

you  see  me,  when  you  get  to  heaven,  you 
will  not  see  me  looking  so  ugly,  pale  and 
thin;  but  I  shall  be  as  beautiful  as  the 
VKose  of  Sharon'  and  the  lily  of  the  valley, 
with  a  crown  upon  my  head." 

Thus  his  happy  soul  was  exercised  till 
the  next  morning,  at  about  9  o'clock,  when 
he  said:  "  Pa,  turn  me  over,  I  am  dying.'' 
So  we  did,  and  he  had  the  most  heavenly 
countenance  I  ever  beheld.  He  asked  us  to 
sing,  and  says,  ''Glory,  glor)^,  glory!" 
Then  he  said,  ^'  Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for 
me,  let  me  hide  myself  in  thee,"  at  which 
his  mother,  aided  by  other  younger  ladies, 
sang  "  Eock  of  Ages,"  and  he  joined  in 
Avith  his  soul  and  heart,  with  an  angelic 
smile  upon  his  face,  which  was  lit  up  with 
the  light  and  life  of  the  presence  of  his 
benign  Savior.  After  this  he  said,  "  Sing 
on,  sing  on!" 

"  What  shall  we  sing,  my  darling  boy?" 
said  his  mother. 


lU  EXPERIEXCES   OF 

I  suggested  ^^Jesus,  Lover  of  Mj  Soul/' 
"  Yes/'  he  said,  ''  that  is  it;  that  is  it," 
with  giorj  in  his  soul  and  rays  of  Divine 
effulgence  upon  his  face,  reflected  from  the 
immediate  association  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  a  convoy  of  angels  who  were  there 
waiting  vnih  unfolded,  snowy  wings  and 
white  matted  Angel's  to  be^r  his  immortal 
soul  to  happiness  and  God  and  heaven, 
where  it  shall  bask  in  sunbeams  of  bliss 
as  long  as  the  cycle  of  eternal  ages  shall 
roll. 

And  this  is  the  way  in  which  this  happy 
soul  manifested  itself  to  friends  and  loved 
ones,  gathered  around  to  catch  an  inspira- 
tion from  the  departing  saint  as  he  was  cut- 
ting loose  from  his  earthly  moorings  to 
cast  anchor  into  the  heavenly  port,  to  be 
forever  moored  hard  by  the  eternal  throne ; 
Yes,  from  early  morn  till  2:30  P.  M.  he 
sang  the  songs  of  Zion,  exhorted  all  to 
meet  him  in  heaven,  and  shouted,  ^'Glory 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  145 

to  GodP^  his  face  all  the  while  beaming 
with  heavenly  smiles,  when  he  sweetly  laid 
his  head  upon  Jesus'  breast  and  breathed 
his  last  out  sweetly  there — without  a  groan 
or  sigh  or  struggle!  Thus  he  breathed  his 
last,  in  the  most  glorious  triiunphs  of  the 
Christian's  faith,  and  in  peace  with  God 
and  man,  whereupon  ajfi  accomplished  lady 
said  : 

''  Mr.  P.,  to  be  in  this  death  chamber 
makes  me  feel  as  if  I  would  like  to  die,  if 
I  could  die  as  Fenner  is  dying." 

Another  good  woman  said:  ^^  Mrs.  P., 
you  ought  not  to  weep,  for  your  life  has 
not  been  a  failure,  for  this  is  your  ripe 
sheaf,  ready  for  the  Master's  use." 

Another  lady  says  she  had  never  heard 
such  dying  eloquence  in  her  life;  and  a 
very  intelligent  gentleman,  who  enjoyed 
the  feast,  said:  "I  confess  to  you,  Mr.  P., 
I  woidd  not  take  fifty  dollars  for  what  I 
have  seen  and  heard  and  felt  to-dav  in  this 


U6  EXPERIENCES   OF 

room,  and,  sir,  it  ouglit  to  be  published  to 
the  world,  so  that  everybody  could  read  it ; 
"for  it  is  the  most  convincing  proof  I  ever 
heard  in  favor  of  the  immortality  of  the 
soul ;  and  it  is  the  greatest  triumph  of  mind 
over  matter  I  ever  beheld.'^ 

ISTow,  a  few  moments  before  he  breathed 
his  last,  he  said:  "  Lift  me  up,"  and  as  we 
held  up  his  wasted  form,  he  told  us  to  hold 
up  his  right  arm ;  and  as  we  did  so,  his  eyes 
were  set  on  things  above,  all  afire  with 
heavenly  light  and  glory.  With  his  finger 
pointed  up  he  says,  "Higher!  higher!! 
higher!!!  Glory!  glory!  glory!"  and  it 
looked  as  if  he  had  a  glimpse  of  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem  with  its  shining  throng 
and  delectable  mountains.  Yes,  truly  has 
the  poet  said,  "  The  place  where  the  good 
man  meets  his  fate  is  privileged  above  the 
common  walks  of  life — quite  on  the  verge 

of  heaven." 

Father  L.  W.  Pigott. 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  UK 

A  CAED   OF  THAXKS. 

Editor  Kendersonville  Times: 

Please  allow  us  to  express  our  sincere 
thanks  and  gratitude  to  the  citizens  of 
Ilendersonville  for  the  many  kind  offices 
rendered  our  son  in  his  last  illness  and 
death,  and  their  deep  sympathy  for  us. 
L.  W.  A.WD  Fanny  Pigott. 


XXIY. 
LEAVES   EKOM  MY   SCKAP-BOOK. 


I  wrote  in  my  scrap-book  on  Christmas 
Day  in  18  TO  the  following  effusion,  and 
thank  the  blessed  Lord  I  still  live  and  am 
in  reasonable  health;  and  msh  to  reiterate 
the  same  now  on  Christmas  Day,  1900 — 
to-wit: 

Eighteen  hundred  and  seventy  years  ago 
to-day,  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea,  the  spirit- 
ual darkness  and  the  sable  curtain  of  moral 
gloom  that  enveloped  the  human  race  was 
pierced  by  the  brilliant  rays  of  the  Sun  of 
Eighteousness  with  healing  in  his  wings  to 
heal  a  sin-stricken  world;  and  it  was  on  this 
occasion  that  a  convoy  of  angels,  to  do  the 
(149) 


150  EXPERIENCES  OF 

everlasting  King  homage,  came  from  their 
blissful,  eternal  abode  with  songs  and  re- 
joicings and  made  known  their  heavenly 
mission  and  glorious  proclamation  of 
"  Peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men." 
Amen!  and  amen! 


Lines  Written  on  the  Walls  of  Old  Blandford 

Church,  Built  in  1735,  Petersburg, 

Virginia. 

(Written  during  the  Civil  War  of  1861.) 

Thou  art  crumbling  to  the  dust,  old  pile; 

Thou  art  hastening  to  thy  fall. 
And  'round  thee  in  thy  loneliness 

Clings  the  ivy  to  the  wall, 
The  worshippers  are  scattered  now 

Who  met  before  thy  shrine, 
And  silence  reigns  where  anthems  rose 

In  days  of  Old  Lang  Syne. 

And  sadly  sighs  the  wandering  winds. 
Where  oft,  the  years  gone  by, 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  151 

Prayers  rose  from  many  hearts  to  ffim, 

The  hig'hest  of  the  high; 
The  tramp  of  many  a  heavy  foot 

That  sought  thy  aisles  is  o'er 
And  many  a  weary  heart  around 

Is  still  forever  more. 

HoAv  doth  ambition's  hope  take  wing, 

How  droops  the  spirit  now; 
We  hear  the  distant  city's  din, 

The  dead  are  mute  below; 
The  sun  which  ghone  upon  their  paths 

!N'ow  gilds  their  lonely  graves. 
The  zephyrs  which  once  fanned  their  brows 

The  grass  above  them  waves. 

Oh !   could  we  call  the  many  back, 

Who've  gathered  here  in  vain. 
Who've  careless  roved  where  we  do  now. 

Who'll  never  meet  again; 
How  would  our  very  souls  be  stirred. 

To  meet  the  earnest  gaze 
Of  the  lonely  and  the  beautiful. 

The  lights  of  other  days. 


152  EXPERIENCES  OF 

A  Pathetic  Parting. 

A  country  minister  in  a  certain  locality 
took  permanent  leave  of  his  congregation 
in  the  following  pathetic  manner :  Brothers 
and  Sistei^,  I  come  to  say  good-bye.  I 
don't  think  God  loves  this  Church,  because 
none  of  you  ever  die.  I  don't  think  you 
love  each  other,  because  I  never  marry  any 
of  you.  I  don't  think  you  love  me,  because 
you  have  not  paid  my  salary;  your  dona- 
tions are  mouldy  fruit  and  apples,  and  by 
their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.  Brothers, 
I  am  going  to  a  better  place.  I  have  been 
called  to  be  chaplain  of  a  penitentiary. 
Where  I  go  ye  cannot  come,  but  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you,  and  may  the  Lord 
haA^e  mercy  on  your  souls. — Bam's  Horn. 


Nary  a  Toil  or  Spin. 

The  choir  was  singing  a  new  arrauge- 
ment  of  the  beautiful  anthem,  "  Consider 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  153 

the  Lillies.'^  The  pure  sweet  voice  of  the 
soprano  rose  clearly  and  distinctly  in  the 
solo: 

They  toi-oi-oi-oil  not, 

They  toil  not, 

They  toil  not, 

^N'y-y-y-ther  do  they  spin. 

She  paused  and  the  tenor  took  up  the 
strain : 

IsTee-ee-ee-ther  do  they  spin. 
They  toi-oi-oi-oil  not, 
They  toil  not, 
They  toil  not, 
^ee-ee-ee-ther  do  they  spin. 

The  tenor  ceased  and  the  basso,  a  solemn, 
red-haired  young  man,  with  a  somewhat 
worldly-looking  eye  and  a  voice  like  a  fog 
horn,  broke  in: 

]^ay-ay-ay-ayther  do  they  spin. 
They  toi-oi-oi-oil  not, 


io4  EXPERIENCES   OF 

They  toil  not, 
They  toil  not, 
Xay-ay-ay-ayther  do  they  spin. 

Then  the  voices  of  the  three  were  lifted 
np  in  a  semi-chorus: 

^>-y-y-"tiier, 

]^ee-ee-ee-ther, 
Xay-ay-ay-ther 

do  they  spin. 
They  toi-oi-oi-oil  not, 
They  toil  not, 
They  toil  not, 

^y-y-y-tiier 

]Sree-ee-ee-ther, 
]^ay-ay-ay-ther 

do  they  spin. 

'^  Brethren,"  said  the  gray-haired  old- 
fashioned  pastor,  when  the  choir  had 
finished,  ^'  we  will  begin  the  service  this 
morning  by  singing  the  familiar  hymn, 
^'And  Am  I  Yet  Alive?  "—Chicago  Daily 
Tribune. 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  155 

Story  of  "Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee.'' 

(This  hymn  was  written  by  an  English  girl,  who 
did  not  live  to  know  the  glory  that  awaited  it.) 

'^As  a  writer,  as  a  poet,  there  were  few 
ill  the  literary  world  of  London  (in  the 
forties)  who  had  not  heard  of  Sarah  Mower 
Adams,  the  gifted  woman  to  whom  all 
Christendom  to-day  pays  homage  in  its 
love  for  her  immortal  hymn,  ^  i^earer,  My 
God,  to  Thee/  ''  writes  Clifford  Howard 
in  the  February  Ladies^  Home  Journal. 
"  It  w^as  w^ritten  in  1840,  and  had  subse- 
quently been  set  to  music  by  Eliza  Flower, 
and  included  in  a  collection  of  hymns  writ- 
ten and  composed  by  the  two  sisters.  Only 
within  that  year  had  their  book  of  ^  Hymns 
and  Anthems '  been  published,  and  the 
hymn  that  was  destined  to  inspire  the  world 
had  then  been  heard  but  once  or  tmce,  and 
within  the  walls  of  a  single  church — South 
Palace  Chapel,  London. 


156  EXPERIENCES   OF 

''  It  was  not,  however,  until  after  the 
year  I860,  when  the  present  well-known 
tune  was  composed  for  it  by  Dr.  Lowell 
Mason,  of  'New  York,  that  the  hymn  at- 
tained its  widespread  popularity.  Up  to 
that  time  it  had  attracted  but  little  notice. 
Through  the  spirit  of  Dr.  Mason's  sympa- 
thetic music  it  was  quickened  into  glorious 
life  and  brought  within  the  reach  of  every 
congregation  and  every  Christian  soul.  But 
this  was  long  after  the  author  of  the  hymn 
had  passed  away.  She  died  in  1848,  with- 
out knowing  of  the  triumph  and  the  glory 
that  awaited  her  work.  Her  grave  in  the 
little  ^dllage  of  her  birth  is  unmarked  by 
any  monument  of  her  fame." 


Exceeding  Abundance  of  Grace. 

When  Merle  D'Aubigne  was  a  student  in 
Germany,  he  went  to  Haldane,  perplexed 
with    doubts.     "  Were    I    to    rid   you    of 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  157 

these/'  said  Haldane,  ''  others  would 
come  to  take  their  place.  There  is  a 
shorter  way  of  annihilating  them.  Let 
Christ  be  really  to  you  the  Son  of  God, 
Saviour,  Lord,  author  of  eternal  life,  and 
the  light  of  Christ  will  lead  you  into  all 
truth."  Afterwards,  when,  studying 
Ephesians,  he  came  to  the  twentieth  verse 
of  chapter  third,  the  expression,  ^'exceed- 
ing abundantly,''  fell  on  him  like  a  new 
revelation.  He  and  his  two  fellow-students 
knelt  and  prayed.  "  When  I  arose,"  said 
Haldane,  ^^  I  felt  as  if  my  strength  were 
renewed  like  the  eagle's  and  I  were  mount- 
ing up  as  on  wdng-s.  From  that  time  I  com- 
prehended that  my  own  syllogisms  and 
arguments  were  of  no  avail,  and  that  Christ 
was  able  to  do  all,  by  the  ^power  that 
worketh  in  us.'  The  habitual  attitude  of 
my  soul  was  henceforth  to  lie  at  the  foot 
of  the  cross."  Fletcher,  on  one  occasion, 
similarly    overcome,  cried    out,    ''  Oh,  my 


158  EXPERIENCES   OF 

God!  I  am  an  infidel  even  yet!  '^  He  had 
come  to  see  so  much  more  of  the  infinite 
depths  of  the  riches  of  grace  than  ever 
before  he  had  been  wont  to  suppose  true, 
that  he  was  overwhelmed. 


The  Holy  Are  Not  Exempt  from  Temptation. 

It  is  not  in  the  power  of  holiness  to 
render  its  possessor  inaccessible  to  evil 
assaults.  A  perpetual  liability  in  this  re- 
spect is  an  unchangeable  circumstance  of 
probation.  If  holiness  in  the  highest  de- 
gree were  inconsistent  \\dth  temptation, 
then  was  Jesus  unholy,  for  He  was 
tempted,  and  Adam  was  created  impure, 
for  he  was  tempted  to  evil  and  carried 
away  by  it  in  his  primitive  state.  Surely, 
if  freedom  from  temptation  be  a  test  of  en- 
tire sanctification,  then  is  there  not  a  holy 
man  on  earth,  for  all  have  been  assailed, 
and   often  most  sorelv   when   nearest   the 


A   HOME   MISSIONARY.  159 

cross.  The  apostle  addressed  his  brethren, 
whom  he  had  just  congratulated  as  heirs 
of  a  pure  and  fadeless  inheritance,  in  the 
following  strain:  "  Wherein  ye  greatly  re- 
joice, though  now  for  a  season,  if  need  be, 
ye  are  in  heaviness  through  manifold  temp- 
tations." From  this  we  must  infer  that 
temptation  is  not  only  possible,  but  need- 
ful. In  our  state  of  trial  it  may  be  re- 
quired, perhaps,  as  a  test  of  fidelity  and 
patience.  It  seems  to  be  God's  permissive 
instrument  to  try  and  perfect  the  graces, — 
Eev.  A.  Lowrey,  D.  D. 


The  Old  Way. 

To  stand  up  for  Jesus  when  it  is  costly; 
to  be  Bible  Christians  when  the  Church 
and  world  conspire  to  make  the  way  to 
heaven  an  easy  one ;  to  contend  for  the  old 
doctrines  of  the  apostles  and  prophets  when 
it  occasions  great  reproach;  to  assume  that 


160  EXPERIENCES  OF 

self-denial  and  non-conformity  to  the  world 
are  esse^itials  in  our  religion;  to  insist  upon 
the  demonstrations  of  the  Spirit  with 
power,  and  its  attestation  to  its  own  work; 
to  declare  that  the  old  way  of  the  cross  is 
the  only  way  to  God — is  the  special  mission 
of  the  few  who  walk  in  white.  But  to  do 
this,  relying  upon  God,  is  to  be  in  the 
furnace  and  not  feel  the  flame ;  to  be  among 
lions,  but  dwelling  securely. — Selected. 


